Skinny Dip
by XGoldenDancerX
Summary: Water, a simple element. Necessity to help create, soothe, and maintain survival. She needed this element, but she also needed the Host Club. Shred off your worries like clothes, huh? TamakixHaruhixhikaru, KaoruxOC. More pairings and Please review!
1. Subdue your fear

A/n: So I'm trying to take my writing to the next phase by challenging myself with more character development and their relationships with one another, establishing descriptions carefully, and just morphing the style and thoughts of original characters.

A lot of people don't like original characters, which I think original characters are excellent to read, but ONLY if they are done well. I create them to help create more twist and turns, but also capture minor characters' hearts to let canon couples be produced. Nevertheless, please give them a chance, and I promise to build them well but not let them take the spotlight.

Anyway let me get on with the fic, right?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club except the characters developed within this fic.

Subdue Your Fear

The water brushed against her skin as she quickened her pace through her lap. She could feel the essence of her element morphing her as she glided within the liquid. The pool swallowed her, her body entrapped with the blue that she was determined not to fight through but to help carry her to her destination. Once she made it to the end, she spun around quickly letting the sole of her feet push her off from the side.

It went on like this for many laps; her focus was only on her gliding and feeling her body escape from being earthbound. That was her favorite. She did not need the invitation to move; she moved when she wanted, stroked through the water when she wanted, and float when she wanted. Her head was clear and her heart was full. She never needed to be scared or hesitant with her actions. It was stroke. Breathe. Stroke. Breathe.

As she crept onto her last lap, she pushed her limbs to the limit, the escaping of all that poisoned her mind and became something better. She was determined to make it, determined to lose all her fear. Once she took her final stroke to the end of the pool, she grabbed onto the end of the pavement, panting her heart's content.

"Time!"

She looked over her shoulder, observing three of her maids jumbling with her towel, bathrobe, and a stopwatch. She observed the maids intently as their expressions and movement gave the answer away-- the thin lining of their once smile, the wide stare they continued at the watch instead of the swimmer, the slight sigh releasing from each mouth consecutively. She failed. So much expectation and so many tries, but she did not make it.

"Young mistress, you almost made it though," spoke one of the maids placing the stopwatch into her pocket.

"Yeah, it was only seven seconds away!" continued another maid, running to their mistress with her towel.

The girl pulled herself out of the pool quickly, letting the maid wipe her face and arms dry. She watched, almost curiously, as the third maid ran to her side, dressing and fastening the long bathrobe around her body. She hated when they did that to her. The notion of them dressing her and wiping her down made her feel like she could not conquer these little duties, like a child or a spoiled brat. She asked many times to let dry her off, but they protested each time. It was as if they loved to touch the body that would swim thirty laps each morning in miraculous time and grace. Well, she did not think it was that big of a deal, but whatever floats their boats.

"Young mistress, you must get ready for your first day of your new school," stated the third maid.

The girl looked over to the smiling maid, which she replied with forming a thin line on her lips to the statement. When she was swimming, feeling the rush to beat the time, she left all her other thoughts behind. Her focus was the water, nothing else. Maybe that was why she was extremely eager to swim today. She could prolong the inevitable of going to her new school. She was never too fond of school, and a _coed _school, at that? She felt like this was not going to be such a good day, yet she has to be ready anyway.

"I know, thank you for the reminder. Oh, is my uniform ready?"

"Yes, young mistress!" unison the maids.

"Well, I guess shower, dressing, breakfast, then school."

The maids vivaciously replied with smiles and bowed as the girl made her way into the mansion. Each step toward her home, she could feel the fear resurfacing and teasing her within her mind. She could feel butterflies escaping from their cocoons, fluttering madly inside her stomach. She wished that time could wait a little longer. Maybe this was the time that she could finally be girly and straighten her hair? That will take time…. Psh, yeah right.

--

Annoyance, the Hitachiin twins realized as the small evidences of Haruhi's shoulders slumped and her chocolate eyes decreased the amount of animation and curiosity within them. The twins were annoying her with their on and on conquest of her visiting their mansion. But she declined the offer. Actually, the rejection of the ginger hair boys' offer annoyed them, so they decided to push her buttons by continuously asking. An eye for eye. Nevertheless, she was more patient and willing to win the game of "Yes you are" and "No I'm not".

"Come on, Haruhi. You know it will be fun."

Haruhi's eyes brushed against their own glance before she looked back to her notes. She knew their case of fun. Usually it would be an event that involved her for only their amusement, nothing more. She can recall many times their sudden urges of touching, pushing, and teasing the young brunette, which she did not enjoy to be involved. Besides, if she entertained the twins at their mansion, she would have to agree to visit the other Host members' home. She would not agree to that-- the twin's teasing, Honey's begging tower of cakes, Mori's lack of communication, Tamaki's ludicrous conversations of "cuteness' and "daughter", and Kyouya…well, just being the same room with Kyouya.

"Guys, give it a rest. I am not going."

The twins rose from their seats simultaneously, letting their forms embrace Haruhi playfully. "We will not rest until you agree!"

Haruhi simply let a sigh slip through her mouth before her body sprawled on her desk. Here, they go. Another day of chaos brewing just for her.

The sound of the classroom door opening drew the attention of the students as their two school representatives and an unidentified girl appeared walking and stood in front of the class. She stood, embracing hesitantly the glances of the student body but almost kept a relaxed stature- her hand carried her briefcase over her shoulder while her other hand continued to feather the end of her shoulder length, raven hair. It was not just the fact they did not know the girl but the way she wore her 'uniform' was unique. This tall, raven hair took a male's uniform jacket, button up shirt, and tie and matched it with short skirt, creeping up her mid thigh. Thankfully, she wore a pair of long, baggy white socks to lessen the amount of skin.

"Class, this is Nami Yamazaki. She is transferring from an all girl's boarding school in Italy." Souga, the class president, smiled toward the girl, but she kept her eyes on the back wall. "Let us welcome, Yamazaki-san, and hope that she will feel as comfortable as possible."

"Is there anything you would like to add, Yamazaki-san?" asked the grinning vice president Momoka.

Nami glanced toward her vice president and felt her body tense up a little. Truthfully, she was not one for formal introductions, and especially, to twenty people gawking at her. Nevertheless, it would be rude to say nothing.

"Um, I'm Nami Yamazaki, daughter of Kumiko Yamazaki. My mom is a famous ballroom dancer and ballet instructor. She has over 2 hundred dancing schools around the world and tours with her company, so she's barely in one place. I spent my whole education life in all girl boarding schools, so this is my first coed school. Um, I really don't know what to say…oh, uh, yeah, at my previous school, I was captain of the swim team, but with anything else, I'll probably do mediocre. I hope we all can be friends, blah blah, you know the rest. Any questions?"

The student body could not help but to continue to study and observe the girl. Well, she was laidback, which was a good trait, but she did not assume the prototype of a daughter of a dancer. Even by looking at her, she was not delicate, graceful, and girly like the other debutantes within the school; Where did this girl come from?

A girl directly in front of Haruhi raised her hand, which Nami pointed to her for her question. "Was it hard for you meet boys at your boarding schools?"

Nami opened her mouth and closed it. Was it to soon? Well, it was going to come out sooner or later. Might as well make her more unique than she already did. She felt her teeth bite onto her lips and her hand wiped the small strand of sweat from her face. Well, shit.

"Yamazaki-san, are you okay?" asked Momoka.

Nami looked down to the other girl, letting a small nervous laugh escape from her mouth. " Um, how about we start class?"

"Yes, you can take a seat wherever you like."

--

Nami walked with a couple of her female classmates out their class. Of course, being the new girl and the tallest by almost half a foot, she decided to walk behind them, listening to the excitement within the girls chattering. She idly listened, commenting a few times if it was interesting, but nevertheless, she was not really entertained. Most of the time, of course, girls talked about boys. It was not a subject she was usually conversing in. Still, she was not going to say anything negative since the girls invited her with them to their favorite spot. Entrusted into a circle of friends, what an honor.

"You know, Nami, we always go the host club everyday," stated one of the girls.

"Yeah, you'll like it a lot. It's where most of the girls in our school hang out for tea, cakes, and conversation," noted another girl as her lips curved happily.

The girls giggled amongst each other as Nami silently nodded her head. It sounded good enough. Maybe it was time for her to try new things, and maybe embracing her femininity within this "host club" could be actually fun.

The girls made their way until they stood in front of a vast door. The swimmer looked up at the sign, which read "3rd Floor Music Room", increasing an amount of curiosity for the club's location. Once one of the girls opened the door, a sea of rose petals flourished within the girl's sight and faces. Where the petals did not engrossed Nami, the brightness of light did. Shielding her face, her inquisitiveness increased, wanting to learn who the hell thought it was a great idea to blind people with roses and lights. Soon enough, her acquaintances gave a shrill of excitement, which made Nami draw her hands down.

"Welcome."

Nami stood blinking repeatedly as her cohorts giggled and sighed lovingly to the images of seven handsome boys. The boys carried an essence of confidence and charm, which heighten the alert in Nami's head. Boys; Girls would love to go to a club that involved cute guys being around them. She knew it was going to be a bad day.

The girls pulled their new friend, finding the tall girl to be rigid and frozen in her stance. It was almost as if she did not want to be there.

"My princesses, welcome. It is always such a wondrous gift for your presence to be amidst of in our club," spoke Tamaki while smiling through her deep blue eyes.

"Oh, sempai, of course, we would! We also have a new girl that might want be a client!"

The girls pulled Nami to the front as she tried to keep her cool.

"Oh, it's Nami-chan," muttered Haruhi while the twins nodded.

"Nami-chan…. Well, my princess, let me be the first to welcome you to our club, and I hope to be familiar with your face and your presence by my side."

Tamaki walked up to Nami, slightly letting his hand brush the ends of her short hair. His arm crept around her waist; drawing her close to his form until their faces were inches away. His hand drew her chin upward to him as he shared a charming, warm smile. That was when she snapped.

The tall swimmer took her briefcase, slapped it across the blonde's boy face while letting a shrilling cry escape her mouth. She could not take it! With that she turned on her heel to leave but her face was introduced to the impact of the heavy door. Silly for one to forget to open a door to leave a room.

A/N: Well, this is the first chapter… Nami Yamazaki is going to be quite the character. I hope she will be good enough for your interest but keep in mind; she will not be the main character. I'm going to focus more on TamakixHaruhi and HikaruxHaruhi soon enough, but she will add onto the development of the coupling.

Please continue to read and review if you like. I would love to hear from you, but no flaming, please. I can take criticism when things begin moving.


	2. Fight your fear

A/N: Chapter two is up

A/N: Chapter two is up. This was actually supposed to be with the first chapter, but I decided to let it become a chapter of its own for the sheer idea of letting the Host members take the lead.

Chapter 2

Fight your fear

The Host Club, minus the moping blond president, observed the sleeping girl on one of the handsome couches. What in the hell made this girl hit Tamaki and herself into the door? In all honestly, many spontaneous events occur within the room, but a girl to just act such as that deserved a raised eyebrow.

Kyouya calmly walked to his computer, clicking onto the keys while instant conversation began to pick up within the rest of the group.

Hikaru glanced to his right and decided to grace his "lord" with some concern. "My Lord, must you really brood within the corner?"

The blonde hair president graced his audience with a stare then decided to turn his sight back onto the crevice of his angst corner.

"Honestly, does he think he is winning anything from moping around," muttered Haruhi with a huff. "Do you girls know what made Nami-chan so upset?"

The girls looked at one another as one spoke with sheer vagueness in her voice, "No. Nami has not really said anything about herself other than swimming."

Another girl giggled, "Plus her explanation for her uniform."

"Now that you mention it, she is wearing a unique look for the uniform," muttered Haruhi.

Honey walked closely up to the girl, studying the interesting clothes that everyone was commenting on. He turned back to everyone, letting his happy-go-lucky charm and expression display as he squeaked, "Cute, cute, cute! I like it! It would look good on Haru-chan!"

The comment sounded so honest and excellent, which triggered Tamaki to rush to their side for another look. It was true. The long boy's top uniform blended over her short black skirt created a sense of ambiguity yet tomboyish style. He quickly whispered, almost barely noticeable, to the twins as they both glanced at Haruhi and nodded their heads.

"Oh, Haruhi…."

The short brunette did not even turn to them. "Not on your life." The suggestion was never asked, and yet her answer was made loud and clear. Brushing the idea and the trio pouting to her answer, she glanced over to the girls, wanting to ask before the question slipped her mind. "Why did she say she wore this uniform?"

"Something like not feeling comfortable in girly uniforms. Still, she kinda smirked saying how ironic she was wearing a boy's uniform."

Ironic, huh? Ironic was a word used from something so obvious and so strange as a positive and a negative is joined together. There were missing pieces.

"Nami Yamazaki, age 16, height 172 cm, born in Kyoto, Japan on July 10. She is the only child of the professional ball room/ ballet dancer Kumiko Yamazaki. Father unknown. In her past medical history, it seems that Yamazaki-chan has a slight case of androphobia."

Kyouya closed his computer as he wrote into a notebook, letting the glances of his cohorts and club members continue to look at him. Tamaki's eyes widen as a loud gasp escaped his mouth.

"The poor girl! How could this happen to her! Such a medical case to have. Oh, I hope her family will pray that she will be cured from this disease. She must be such a strong willed girl to continue living as if everything is okay…Still what does that have to do her hitting me in the face?"

Idiot was all the Host members could think, except Honey (since he was believing his president more and more as he conversed).

"My lord, androphobia is not a disease…." Started off Hikaru letting his eyes glance to Kaoru.

"…It means she is afraid of men," concluded Kaoru.

Tamaki physically and mentally began to ponder on the idea. This girl was afraid of men. No wonder he took an instant attack from her. His mouth shaped into a large "O" shape then closed as he placed his fist under his chin. He needed to help her with such a condition.

"Poor Nami-chan. I wanted to play with her!" chimed Honey. He hugged his bunny tightly, forming a pout into the back of his bunny's head while looking for Mori to console him for such a fate. The taller boy only looked down, creating a shift in his stance but nothing more.

Suddenly, as if an idiot hit them in the back of the head, the twins jumped up, grinning wickedly as they eyed one another.

"Hm, afraid of men, you say…." How could they both not think of a wondrous thing such as this? A new toy! Haruhi was one of their favorite playmates within the school, but they always could muster up fun to any new comers, if worth their time. This was their time for some good ol' fun.

"Oh, look she's coming to."

It first started with a small blink, her emerald eyes glancing up to the ceiling. As soon as she opened her eyes again, forms of people appeared in her line of vision, which faces soon began to become recognized. Nami could feel the softness of a couch under her, wondering how her form was introduced to the furniture. Well, her memories began to surface in her brain, and dread began to form. Shit.

Nami stood up, letting her neck stretch on each side of her head while her eyes looked over to her friends.

"Yamazaki-san, are you okay?" asked one of the girls.

"Yeah.." She looked over to the boys, glancing over to the blonde who seemed to be lost in his thoughts. She felt so bad for hitting him. Still, what the hell was his problem taking him in his arms like that?

"Nami- chaaaaan! We were so worried!" The twin took to her side, letting their body press against her. Hikaru pulled her chin, mirroring Tamaki's previous affection, as Kaoru embraced his arms around the girl's neck. She stood frozen, examining the unexpected unwanted touch of boys on her…. again. Oh no, everything was getting blurry again.

"I got it!" Triumphantly, Tamaki chuckled making everyone turn to him. His eyes gleamed of victory with the combination of a smug smile. He pointed to Nami, triggering more dismay to the girl, and walked to pose in front of her.

"What do you have in mind, sempai?" Haruhi had to ask before he smugly built anymore praise within his mind.

"You poor girl, living within your fear of men; You must have never felt the love and warmth of a boy. To think you, a beauty to this world, never even shared the sweet affections of another….I forbid it!"

"My lord, get to the point!" unison the twin as they continued to 'lovingly' caress the pale Nami.

"When in Rome…." He started until Haruhi pressed her hands firmly onto his mouth. She could not help it; it was only making her annoyed by the fact he would not get to the point of his soliloquy. "I'm going to take my hand away from your mouth, and if you don't tell us of your plan, the girl will probably pass out once more."

Nami felt her consciousness slipping as Kaoru nipped the nape of her neck. Boys were touching her; TOUCHING her. She knew it was going to be such a bad day.

"Mori-sempai, if you please," spoke Haruhi.

Mori presented himself behind the twins and pulled them quickly away from the raven hair girl. Nami touched her face and neck as if to feel the disappearance of warmth amongst her. She wanted to rejoice once she watched the tallest boy dragging the ginger hair twins over to Tamaki's side. Free at last.

Once Haruhi saw that the girl was safe, she looked over to the blonde boy with a warning glance in her eyes. She hoped that he thought about her previous words since she wanted to take care of any implications for the newcomer. So, now, all she could do was trust her president.

Tamaki felt her hands peel away from his mouth, which he replied with a small nod before looking to Nami. Such a tall pretty creature to be afraid of his own kind. Nevertheless, he knew this plan would be her cure from a disease….um, fear.

"You should be a client."

They all looked at him; some were gawking at his stupidity, some were curiously waiting for his explanation.

"I mean, if you surround yourself with your fear, won't it break you away from it?" asked Tamaki with a victorious smirk.

Everyone stood thinking, contemplating, and deconstructing the president's word. It was always a rare occasion for the blonde leader to have a beneficial, good advice. For Kyouya, the suggestion would increase profits. For Honey, he would finally have time to talk and eat cake with the new girl. For Mori, whatever made Honey happy, he would be as well. For Haruhi, just helping someone in need would be a beneficial event. For Tamaki, he could redeem his pride from the slap and show everyone, especially Haruhi, he was a superior, thoughtful person. And for the twins…well, they could increase their amusement with a new "toy". Everyone was a winner… Well, not everyone thought so.

Nami smiled cheerfully, but once her sweat dropped down her forehead, she made a run to the door. Too bad Mori's instant quickness decimated any way for the tall girl to escape. He grabbed the back of her jacket and lifted her onto his shoulder, which made her reply with a yelp. She lied onto his shoulder, whimpering slightly to the action until Honey bounced toward them both.

"Do not worry! Takashi is nice! He won't hurt you at all!" His smile oozed a great amount of sweetness, creating a decoy from Nami to question. The blonde little boy was very small and quite cute. Wait, what was he doing wearing their uniform?

"Come on, Nami. Just give it a chance," stated one of her female classmates.

"Yeah, you don't want to be afraid forever. Don't you want to fall in love?" added another girl.

Nami blinked her eyes for a moment to such a question. She has always considered falling in love, wanting to feel what the big deal was, but she was too scared. Still, they did make a point about loosing her fear; she did not want to be like this forever.

"I guess I have no choice…" Slowly, Mori placed the girl down, as she appeared to feel a sense of fluster. She forgot she was lounging somewhat on his shoulder.

"So, Mama, how should we do this new plan?" asked Tamaki, confidently wrapping his arms around his chest.

Kyouya appeared behind Tamaki with his notes in his hands. He had to think logically and strategically to make the girl stay within their program. If she started with Tamaki, she would evidently pass out or attack him for his passes…next. Judging by the willful glances of the twins to him, they would terrorize the girl until she was hospitalized due to the excess heart attacks…. next. Even though Mori was such a genuine person, he was tall and intimidating. Now, Haruhi and Honey were excellent candidates. It would actually be a toss up.

"Hey, Honey-sempai, Haruhi?" asked Kyouya pressing his finger onto his glasses.

"Yes?"

"I'm picking a number, 1- 10? Pick one."

"Two!"

"Um, seven."

"Money is better in quantity…Haruhi, you're Yamazaki-san first Host. After a couple of days, we will alternate: Honey-sempai, Mori-sempai, myself, the twins, and then Tamaki." He closed his notebook and expressed sense of ultimate intelligence while some of the host members nodded to the arrangement while other fumed at being last.

"Hey, why can't we have time with Nami- chan," chimed the twins eyeing the new comer then glancing back to their vice president.

"Well, my good men, we must learn that patience is a virtue!" Tamaki grinned widely to his advice while the twins blankly look at him. Rarely did they take their "leader" seriously, so why would they start now?

"So, since we have made this plan may I go now? I mean, I would not want to intrude on the activities here," spoke Nami. She looked over at everyone disbanding into his or her usual things, almost forgetting the ordeal that happened. Well, except Haruhi.

The brunette walked over to Nami, who physically looked more relaxed once she noticed everyone leaving. Poor girl.

"I'm sorry about the twins and Tamaki. Sometimes, rich guys can be rich bastards," spoke Haruhi. She placed her hand on Nami's back, which Nami replied with a gasp. Why would she do that? Oh, yes, that's right; she looked like a boy.

"Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I need to get out of this fear anyway…but I prefer to start tomorrow."

Nami inched away from Haruhi, hoping that she would not be touched again. It was not that Haruhi was being inappropriate or anything. Just the slightest touch created such a pile of anxiety within her- her back could feel fields of shiver crawl up, her heart raced mixed with a sense of fright. Needless to say, ANY type of guy gave her panic.

Once Nami turned around, she was planning to run out before anyone else decided to trample her with affection. Her first footstep to the door, however, was a clumsy one. She could feel her body slipping, but immediately before her back hit the ground, someone was behind her. Someone's chest was on her back. Someone with small mounds of breasts was on the ground with her. She turned, looked, and just gazed at Haruhi. Shit.

A/n: How was that? So, Nami knows about Haruhi being a girl? I wonder how she's going to take that and being a client of the Host members. And what about those twins?

Read and review please.


	3. Discover your fear

Chapter 3: Discover your Fear

Chapter 3: Discover your Fear

Haruhi was not stressed out. Why would she be? But the way Nami looked at her, yesterday, gave her such tenseness; she knew she could not deny it. But why? Why of all times would she feel like the end was near? She was thinking too dramatically.

When she unwillingly became a member of the Host club, she passively tried many times to find a way out. Though she would never tell the group, she honestly wanted someone to find out about her true sex. Of course, she would go on and on about not caring what gender everyone expected her to be; she ultimately did not want to be around such ignorant, conceited rich kids… wait, _rich bastards_.

Still, once time past, she saw herself becoming attached. They were her friends. They saw underneath the financial differences between them and saw who she really was; a logical yet natural girl who needed to learn that she was not alone. Haruhi could not recall the moment her feelings became different, but she knew within this club, she found a new path. A path that maybe she could realize some things she never had experience; intimacy between friends and maybe…lovers.

Maybe that's why she felt bothered by Nami's gaze. Her emerald eyes brushed against Haruhi's chocolate stare. Her chest pressed against the newcomer; Nami knew she was a girl. Well, Haruhi did not actually know, but the way the swimmer stared was almost a question to her. With her knowing, she could tell, and then she would be found out. There was no way the Host Club could keep their distinguish review if a girl has been a member all along. She would be gone, and so would that connection…. Well, this was only assumption. Maybe Nami did not know.

"Oh, look, Haruhi! It is Nami-chan!"

The twins took this time to run toward the new girl walking into the classroom, which Haruhi replied with just observing. They pounced at her, letting her slip a small gasp from her mouth, but that was it. Here we go again.

"Nami-chan, it is we! You remember, right?"

"Yes, I'm Hikaru Hitachiin!" He hugged her neck, being reward with a small whimper.

"And, I'm Kaoru Hitachiin." Kaoru decided to wrap his arms around her waist.

"Guys…" warned Haruhi from her seat.

"We are terribly sadden that we won't get to be your hosts this week…" started Hikaru.

"But since we are in the same class, we still have time to get to know one another." Kaoru whispered softly within her ear. She was going to lose it.

"Gentlemen, that is enough!" Haruhi crept from behind the twins, pulling each boy's ear to separate from the flabbergasted girl. Haruhi's lips formed a thin line across her face. It was as if she was babysitting…again.

"Sorry about them." Haruhi's eyes swept against Nami's, but the swimmer just stared for a moment. Actually, she wasn't staring; she was looking. Looking across Haruhi's chest. But once she felt the brunette gaze looking up for hers, Nami simply smiled and walked away.

She knew. Shit.

--

"Welcome!"

Nami stood within the club gazing at a meadow. Flowers glowed brightly among the vast fields as birds chirped among the trees. Various girls sat around tables with picnic food flourishing with teacup flower ornaments. It was breathtaking, but a room filled with such vegetations was quite unusual.

"Nami-chan, over here." Nami glanced over to a separate table where Haruhi sat. The brunette poured tea into cup, letting her other hand motion for the taller girl to join her.

"What a view…." She had questions, but all she could muster up was the environment. She was dodging, but that's all you could do. How can you, all of a sudden, ask a stranger if he was a boy or girl? Nami wasn't polite compared to other girls, but she was not tactless.

" I know, right? Tamaki-senpai decided that he wanted to have picnics and thought that our other customers would like it."

"…I did not think he had that much control."

"Well, you're not the only one. Just goes to show you; if you have money and networking skills, you can get whatever you want."

"That sounds arrogant, if you ask me."

"I know! Like rich bastards!"

They shared a laugh while taking sips of their teas. Haruhi intently watched the girl in front of her, as she seemed to relax for a moment. Everything was going well. Maybe their session would be all right.

"Fujioka-san, I was wondering about your…um, are you a girl?"

The question slipped through Nami's mouth, which actually triggered Haruhi to choke back her tea. Gaining back her breathing pattern, Haruhi's eyes glanced to Nami's; the newcomer just waited.

"I was just wondering because when you tried to help me…. your chest. I'm sorry, this is a stupid question." Nami felt herself falling from the courage she had earlier. Maybe, Haruhi was just a guy with breasts. They were not that big anyway. Still, such a peculiar thing for a guy to have.

"Yes, I am a girl." Once Nami heard it, she looked over to a smiling Haruhi. The brunette should have known; Nami was not a stupid girl from what she could tell. Whatever happened she just needed to be honest and hope for the best, right?

"Really? I knew it!" shouted Nami, letting her fist rise in the air for victory. "Wait, then why are you wearing…why are you a Host member?"

Haruhi took a small sigh and began to explain her position within the club from the moment she met the boys to the reason she continues to be a part of the club—well, there was still information she did not need to talk about.

Nami sat there, sipping some of her tea and eating from the small sandwiches placed on the table. From time to time within Haruhi's explanation and storytelling, she could feel herself feeling more relaxed to the idea of this member. She knew she should be with one of the real boys, but having Haruhi made everything better. So what if she was cheating.

"So, what do you have to say?" asked Haruhi.

Nami scratched the back of her head as she clasped her hands around her neck.

"I promise not to tell a soul. Don't worry."

Haruhi could not help to express a sense of relief once Nami answered.

"It is funny to see that a girl like you still in a place like this, even after getting the vase paid off. The guys must really like you."

Haruhi looked over her shoulder, viewing her club members acting their usual selves with their respectable group of clients. Yes, they were bastards sometimes, but they were friends. The Host Club members have all once saved her or at least helped her realized how important their friendship was or just the importance of connections with other beings. Funny how these group of guys really changed her life.

"Yeah, and I like them…I like them very much."

Nami smiled and carefully placed her teacup down on the table. In all her years of being around girls, this was the only time Nami could remember being envious about being around boys. She has commented on how ridiculous the "rich kids" could be, and yet, she would not change a thing. Nami was so used to girls commenting superficially about guys. She did not care about the way they looked or smiled, so why would she want to be around them? But now, she would want that feeling. The same feeling that Haruhi felt when talking about "her boys".

"Earth to Nami," spoke Haruhi waving her hand in the girl's face.

"Sorry about that. Sometimes my mind just slips into thinking."

"Don't worry. So, you swim?"

"Yes! I love it! It is probably the best thing I can do, honestly." She laughed at her own comment. "I don't know; while my mom had dance, I took up swimming."

Their conversation began to dip and bend into topics that appealed to both girls. Of course, there were time of awkwardness and silence, but somehow each girl picked it back up. They understood how they were trying to be comfortable. They liked each other.

--

Haruhi crept into the show, letting the water pour on top of her head. The moisture felt amazing, almost therapeutic when it hit her hair, flowed down her back, and then onto the floor of her shower. She had to excuse herself sometimes from being in the shower so long, but it was her alone time. It was the time she could separate from society and think about her. How she felt.

Once she felt that her shower was done, she made her way to her bedroom. Once inside, she crept on her bed looking up at the ceiling. Ah, peace and quiet. Well, it was until the cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Daughter! Oh, I was wondering how you were doing today! I did not have the time to ask, but how did everything go with Nami-chan?"

In the brunette's mind, she inwardly kicked herself for giving him her cell phone number.

"It went well, sempai."

"Good, good. I was thinking it did. I mean, you are so cute and all, plus you two seemed to have such a good time talk."

Was he watching them? Somehow, she should known he did. Many times she caught the blonde glancing toward her-- he smiled heartily with his warm, deep sapphire eyes on her. It was different from his glances to other girls or anything that really excited him. Even though she lectured him not to be such a stalker, she liked it. She liked when she caught his eyes on her.

"Haru-chan?"

"Um, yeah, I'm here. Anyway, she is doing well, though…."

"Though?"

"She knows I'm a girl."

"What!"

His screeching voice almost crushed her eardrum, which she retracted the phone. Dammit, he was badgering ideas of what Nami would be doing with the new information. He was always like that. Honestly, everyone in the club member thought Tamaki lived more in his dream world than in reality.

"Sempai, it is okay! She promised not to say a thing and I trust her."

"…. Well, if you think it would be best, daughter."

"Please, sempai, if you could, stop calling me daughter. It is kinda creepy."

There was a silence between them for a moment. Haruhi could hear the fumbling of words on Tamaki's end, which she stifled a small chuckle. He really did live in this surreal life he created.

"Okay." Tamaki's tone was different than anything she recalled. "If I change your name, you should change from calling me sempai."

"Uh…Well, alright…Tamaki-san." His name rolled off from her tongue and somewhere deep down, she felt closer. Closer to whatever relationship they had. It felt like they destroyed her formality and his stupidity, and became part of the same level.

"Thank you, Haru-chan." He said it, and somehow Haruhi felt something when he said it. Something different.

"Se…Tamaki-san, I must be going."

"Y-yes, me too. Good night, Haru-chan."

"Goodnight."

With that, she ended the call and began looking at the ceiling again. Haru-chan. He called her that from now on. Somehow, she felt better with that name. Somehow, she could feel her lips curve into a smile.

--

Haruhi walked into the 3rd room Music Room, feeling the Hitachiin twins push her, almost more eagerly than usual. She knew where the location, but somehow the twin insisted that they would walk together. Silly for them to think she was stupid; she knew their game.

"Guys, Nami isn't here yet because she decided to go swim at the pool before coming," she informed them.

She was not here. They glanced to one another and back at their fellow classmate. The twins thought about the notion of Haruhi telling the truth or not. Of course they believed her…well, they trusted her, but she still was a girl. She did not understand the necessity of their game with the new girl.

"Kaoru, do you feel like parting for a little?" Kaoru looked at his brother, but understood immediately his notion.

"I will call you if I see her at the pool." Kaoru walked to the door, looking back for a moment at his brother and Haruhi standing at his side. He knew quite well his notion.

Haruhi let a sigh out as Hikaru just wickedly smiled. He was waiting to see if Haruhi was telling the truth or not; she was not dumb. Still, in a way, she just did not understand their new obsession for the girl.

"You guys can be so mean sometimes."

The ginger hair twin looked over to the brunette, intently investigating her body language—her lips formed tightly pressed inward, her hands concaved with one another, and her head lowered from his gaze. She was actually hurt from this.

"What's wrong with a little fun?" He kept that smile on his face, but she returned it with just a frown. He was toying with her while he waited. Two can play that game.

"Fine, then I will never visit your home."

Hikaru looked over, seeing the brunette folding her arms to him. They stared at one another, creating an inner duel or a case of 'stare down', if you will. The stare went from a challenge to something else; Hikaru changed it. His eyes, at first, appeared in all mighty cockiness and dominance. Once time began to past by them, his eyes wavered into something warm. Something almost wanting.

"Fine…" Haruhi did not hear him because she could not help but to see something in his eyes. It made her curious. The way the amber mixed with some specks of light brown kept her wanting to watch the prettiness in them. But once she heard his words, she fell back into reality with disappointment. She wanted to look for a little bit longer.

"Fine what?"

"We will leave her alone, but only until she is our clients. I mean, Kaoru and I thought up really good tricks on her," he spoke feeling his smile crawl back onto his face.

"Okay, at least that's a start."

When she let her lips curl into a smile, he could not help to let his lips curl into a smirk. It was there; a natural, almost comfortable grin from Hikaru. It was rare to have it on when he was without Kaoru. Haruhi could not help but to just notice how handsome Hikaru could be without his wicked expression.

"Fujioka-san!"

The two club members looked and watched Nami run in with her bag on her back. For a moment, she was alone, but when a second came, Kaoru came running after her with a smile spread widely on his face. So he found her, they both thought.

"For the love of Buddha, help!" Swiftly Nami crept behind Haruhi. The younger twin just stood beside his brother's side, letting a glimpse of a wink reach the swimmer. She was just to fun in this flustered state. Of course, he did not do anything too absurd.

"Kaoru, we will let Yamazaki-chan be in peace for a little while."

Kaoru glanced over to his brother, letting the news hit him. He simply knew why he would say this. Even though they acted the same, Kaoru would genuinely observe his brother. He knew it all--knew the way Hikaru glanced at Haruhi in class, the way he would slow his walking pace when Haruhi joined them, the way when Hikaru would sometimes forget his brother's presence when Haruhi walked into a room. Kaoru knew his brother's intentions, even though Hikaru could not say it.

"It's okay, Nami-chan. How about we start our session early," spoke Hikaru grabbing the girl's hand.

"Okay."

The two girls walked away from the twins, slipping into conversation. Once they made to her usual spot, Haruhi decided to look back. Hikaru was still standing there, staring intently at her. Once her gaze brushed his, he followed up, pretending to be looking somewhere else in her area. She could see through that act. But it did alarm her for a moment; he stared at her like Tamaki. And yet, once again, she liked it. Two of them, watching her. She was being selfish, but she did not want them to stop. She liked them…she liked them very much.

TBC

A/N: Ah, yes, a nice chapter focusing on Haruhi.

Just so you know, next chapter, Hunny is Nami's new client.


	4. Embrace your fear

A/N: Honestly, thank you guys for reading

A/N: Honestly, thank you guys for reading. In several days, 200 people have read or, at least, looked the fic over. Plus thank you for the people reviewing. I hope to do something special within a future chapter, so keep a look out!

Chapter 4

Embrace your fear

He could not stop smiling. Hunny sat at the table, about to eat a cake with his stuff rabbit Usa-chan in his lap. Today he was given his favorite, strawberry shortcake with extra whip cream. Usually, he did not mind having people eating with him, but he wanted the cake all to himself. It was so yummy looking. The whip cream with the strawberry looked delectable. Oh, the savory taste! Nevertheless, he had a couple of minutes before his newest client came; so it was time to make the cake disappear.

"Yum, yum! Usa-chan, you want some? No, you want tea, instead? Okay!" He placed his bunny beside a teacup on the table, and then focused on the sweet in front of him. Within seconds, a gleam presented itself in his eye as he took his fork. In one big swoop, one third of the cake was on his fork and in his mouth. Oh, what could he do without cake?

"Mitsukuni…"

The blonde senior gazed up to his giant cousin walking over to his side. He seemed to have a glass of milk in his hand. How nice of Mori to rembember such a simple drink.

"I love milk with cake! Thank you, Takashi!" He took the white liquid, gulping half of it while he made his way into the rest of his treat.

"Remember….you meet with Nami today." That silly Takashi; always acting as the martial artist's personal assisstant. Wait, in a way he was, but it was still silly and cute. Hunny looked back up to the giant after eating another big portion of his cake. He smiled, chewing the sweet dessert within his mouth. Mori curved his lips so slightly, placing his hand on the older boy's head.

"Hunny-sempai, Nami-chan is here."

The short blonde boy and the tallest boy glanced over, watching Nami walk over with Haruhi accompanied. The taller girl gripped slightly on the brunette's arm, feeling her nerves act up as her eyes observed the two boys. One small little boy and one tall, silent tree. Nevertheless, it was time to face up to her fear, right? Why could she not have another day with Haruhi?

Hunny took the last piece of the cake into her mouth, washing it down with the last container of milk. Now he was ready to work. The sugar in the food made him ready for anything.

"Welcome, Nami-chan! Would you like to take a seat?" She did as she was told after slowly letting go of Haruhi.

"Come on, Mori-sempai, let's give them their space," stated Haruhi looking up to him.

He looked over to Hunny, watching the shorter boy take his bunny off the table.

"That's right, Takashi. Be a good boy and just meet your other clients," smiled Hunny.

Hunny let his mouth slip into his usual smile, caressing between being sweet and adorable. The raven hair boy gave a small nodded and walked beside Haruhi to their clients. Now, it was time for fun.

Nami looked over to Hunny, watching him grip tightly to his bunny. It was so unsual-- a short little blonde boy, holding a stuff bunny being placed into high school. He must be a gifted student to surpass so many grades, she thought.

"Nami-chan!" Hearing his voice, the raven hair girl straaightened her back.Hunny hopped infront of her, quickly relinguishing a smile. She folded her arms, feeling her nerves act up by the closeness of this boy, but he was young. Why did she feel nervous?

"Nami-chan, do I scare you?"

"You?" Her voice gave up on her as she tried to sound relaxed.

"I know your phobia must keep you away from boys since you had it for a very long time. You must think I'm a monster!" He took a step back, feeling tears form in his eyes. He hoped he was not the same like the icky little monsters that crept under people's beds or in their closets. If he was, then he couldn't be cute.

"No, no, Hunny-chan. You are too cute to be a monster." Hunny looked up to her and found a sincere smile on her face. He sat beside her and just mirrored the same smile, though it crept into a more childlike version.

"I mean, how can I be scared to a cute little boy!" Hunny and Nami shared the smile.

"Nami-chan, I'm 18 years old!" As the information clicked into the swimmer's head, her mouth dropped. He was older than her? This small, childlike guy was two years her senior? It was as if fate and time decided to tag team and play a trick on her. Shame on them.

"So, Hunny-ch…er, Hunny-sempai,.."

"No, call me, Hunny-chan! I like when you call me that."

"Okay? Hunny-chan, you look so young! Sorry, for being frank, but I would have never guessed."

"It is okay! People seem to like me like this! I remember how it was sometimes hard to teach one of my Karate classes."

At first, his statement of teaching a karate made the girl inwardly scoff at the idea. The way his chocolate eyes brightly smiled to her with his bunny under his chin….he was playing her. This guy was full of mystery though.

"Karate, huh?" At first her tone alarmed him. It sounded almost in a kidding manner. So instead of telling her again, he stood up from his chair. He took one of the empty teacups on the table and placed it in her hand.

"Can you hold this?" She nodded, but was not ready for the next action; he placed his rabbit down, jumped up quickly and sliced the cup clean in three pieces. Yep, he told the truth.

"See, I do, I do!"

He smiled placing the pieces back on the table and took his rabbit back into his arms. Nami could not help but nervously return his smile. This boy was something else.

"Amazing, Hunny-chan! You amaze me!" For once in her life, she felt herself becoming expressive. Girls were always known as the creatures of many faces and expressions. Nami did not usually follow the case since she rarely got excited over things. Now, the days were filled with discoveries, and she could not help. She still is a girl.

"You amaze me, too!"

Nami looked at him, skeptical at his statement. "How so?"

"Because you can swim! I want to swim, too!"

"You don't know how to?"

Hunny thought about the question. Well, he just said he did not know how. Was it really such a big thing? Still, he shook his head, making sure she understood before asking again.

"Would you like me to show you?"

"Really? Yes, I would! Then I can swim along side with Takashi and everyone else!"

"Takashi…. oh, the tall guy." She recalled him by Haruhi calling him Mori-sempai, but his name must really be Takashi. Now that he thought about it, she has not heard a single word from him. Was he mute? It would be rude to ask.

"Does Takashi scare you?"

Nami blinked a couple of times at the sudden question, but Nami quickly replied, "No, but he makes me nervous. I mean most boys do."

"Well, I bet by the time next week, you will be okay with boys because everyone will help you." Spoke Hunny squeezing into his bunny.

"Maybe…" In a week, she was hoping she would be done with it in a year.

After the session, Mori and Happy sat with the other clients. The girls grinned happily, clinging onto each as they watched the interaction of Mori and Hunny. They were not like the Hitachiin twins, applying the idea of being in love with one another, but the way they completed one another with attitudes and habits created an environment…. of moe.

"Hunny-chan, did you eat any cake today? I brought this delicious cheesecake for you to try." The cheesecake, presented on the table, seemed almost to be calling out to the blonde senior. He eyed it, watching Mori place a slice on a saucer, and presenting to Hunny.

"Oh, Takashi, thank you!" Hunny leaned slightly on his companion while digging into his cake. He could feel the eyes of his clients on him, which he did not mind. As long as the cake was his, he was happy.

"Oh, Hunny, you are so cute!"

"Oh, that reminds me, Takashi. Nami-chan is teaching me how to swim tomorrow."

As he heard the notion, Mori looked apon the childlike boy as his lips fell into a frown.

"If you do, I will be there to watch…"

Hunny looked up to see determination and seriousness within Mori's eyes. He really wanted to be there? Of course, he did not have a problem with it, but Nami was still really nervous around other guys. Besides, he had a lot more questions with her and it was not fair that Mori would be there to hear them as well. It was kind of their time.

"No, Takashi, you're going to stay here with your clients while I go with Nami-chan."

"It might not be safe."

"But I wanna be with Nami-chan alone!" Hunny started to fling his legs and felt his anger rise. He almost threw his rabbit, but remembered that Usa-chan did not do anything. Hunny looked back up to Mori. It was as if he was doing the whole tooth ache incident all over again except this time Mori was being more controlling.

The short blonde boy looked to his cousin with serious eyes, hugging his rabbit tightly. He was going to say something that would place Mori in his place.

"Takashi, if you don't leave me with Nami-chan alone, I will never speak to you again!" With that the boy walked over to the table, took more than two thirds of the cheesecake with him on a platter, and left to the other side of the room. They girls and Mori just stared confusingly at the departing boy who, not once, looked back.

--

"Okay, Hunny-chan! I am here"

Hunny sat at the edge of the pool, looking at his water based toy until hearing Nami's voice. He looked up to see her, holding a small floating board and a couple other items. Once she placed them done, she adjusted the top of her thin strap one piece, feeling secure and ready for the water.

"Wow, Nami-chan, you look so fit!" Hunny examined her figure, noticing the way her arm muscles flexed by the use of her movements. She looked her body over then shrugged by habit to Hunny's indication.

"Really? Well, it is all from swimming." She smiled, flattered that someone noticed. Well, usually her maids noticed as well, but she thought it was because they were…. well, her maids.

Suddenly, Nami began to stretch out her arms, which Hunny decided to mimic her moves. Once her arms were done, she stretched her legs, which he did the same. She looked back at him, seeing the wide grin on his face as he mirrored her actions. He really was too cute.

"Alright, now that we are done stretching, I'll jump in and you throw me the board. After that, you can jump in!"

"Okay!"

Nami placed her arms up in a curving position and dove in the pool, letting only a small area splash. She felt happiness creeping as the liquid surrounded her once again. The feeling was always so welcoming. She reached back up to the surface, looking at Hunny shape his mouth into a surprised "O" shape.

"That was pretty! You are a good diver, too!"

Nami greeted his statement with a smirk as she motioned him to though the flotation device, which he did.

"Okay, Hunny-chan, jump in!"

He took a large breath, ran, and formed his body into a ball. Cannonball, of course, it was not one of the best dives, but it sure led a great big splash. One that particularly drenched Nami's upper body. Once, Hunny came back up to the surface, he gasped for air and felt Nami grabbing him. Oh, what a relief.

"Nami-chan, thank you! I thought I was gonna die for a second!"

"Hunny-sempai, you won't! Come on, we'll practice on your kicking."

In minutes, the tall swimmer gripped watched, from a safe distance, Hunny laying and kicking with the help of the board. His kicks quickly cut through the water, brings more waves of water onto the surface.

"Slow down, Hunny. Softer kicks. You don't have to slice the water." She chuckled as he noticeably lessened the activity of force in the water. "Good, good."

"Am I going to be able to swim after this practice?" asked Hunny, still focusing on his kicks.

"No, but practice makes perfect, right? It is like me with my fear. I know I won't be cured in a day."

"Uh-huh…. Well, exactly how long have you been scared of boys?"

Nami helped steer Hunny before he hit the end of the pool, directing him to the shallow end.

"I guess, after I graduated elementary school; I was in my school for girls in France. I was swimming, but I almost drowned in the water, for some odd reason. Anyway, Once I regain consciousness, a boy was there, giving me CPR. He kinda freaked me out."

Hunny looked up to Nami, examining how the raven hair began to drift into daydreaming. She was thinking back then, but Hunny still did not get it. She was afraid because a boy saved her life.

"The boy was trying to save your life, Nami-chan. He did nothing wrong."

"I know…" Was that really why, she asked herself?

"I think you are not scared of boys! I think you are just afraid to be close to a boy."

Good point. Clearly, being in a classroom full of boys never really made her too queasy. It was always when they directly looked at her and tried to touch her. But still, why should that be a problem?

"Nami-chan, I'm tired! Can we take a break?" His little legs were getting tired from all the kicking. Nami smiled as she lured and helped him to one of the end of the pool. She stood watching him take a deep breath, his smile crawling back onto his face once he looked at her. He was just too cute.

"Nami-chan…."

"Huh?"

"We're pretty close together…are you nervous?"

She looked at him, puzzled at first, but the recent conversation clicked within her head. He was a boy--check. He was very close physically-- check. She even pulled his hands in the water and grabbed him to place him on the end of the pool--check. Yet, she was not nervous.

"No…." She smiled widely but then frown instantly. "But I will be once Mori-sempai is my host. He is so big and intimidating."

She lowered herself in the pool; letting half of her face descend under the surface. Hunny began to think about Takashi at that moment, recalling the minor complication they hade the day before. Once time passes, he felt like he was being unfair to his tall cousin.

"Takashi is not a meanie. He actually is a kind person, always wanting to help when people are in trouble. He wants to always protect and always knows or notices the little things." He was speaking, but he did not know if he was really speaking to Nami or himself. Nami thought the same thing.

"You two had a fight?"

"How did you know?"

"I know how it is. So, you guys had a disagreement. Whose fault?"

"…. Mine…" He explained the incident to Nami, describing the look they both gave and the cake. Oh, the cheesecake was important. Well, to him it was.

"I know I did wrong, but I don't know what to say."

"Just say, sorry. You don't have to explain. Saying it makes everything better."

"Yes, but I don't understand why I was so mad."

"Well, of course, you were helping me out, but you probably wanted me to know your identity, not your closeness of Mori-sempai." Hunny tilted his head, feeling confusion increase, but Nami continues. "Mori-sempai and you are a team, but sometimes team members want an identity. You wanted space for me to get to know _you_."

She was right. He wanted the raven hair girl to know him separate from his cousin. Their clients knew that if you had Mori-sempai, you had to have Hunny-sempai, and vice versa. He would sit with clients, eat sweets and cakes, or comment about cute subjects, but Takashi was always there. Sometimes, he could feel like he was being babied, which he liked, but he was his own person nonetheless.

"But don't worry, Hunny-sempai, you will always be you, and Mori-sempai will be Mori-sempai. You will be cute, and he will be a tree," chuckled Nami swimming within the pool.

Hunny thought about the ironic statement Nami made (since she was the tallest girl in school) and laughed. He felt better, a lot better. " Okay, I'm ready for the rest of my training!"

He pushed off the pavement, and jumped into Nami's arms. She was startled, but noticed the size of his form. He was as small as a middle school kid; sempai was full of amazement…and cuteness.

--

The two finished their practice, deciding to the Host Club. Once they retuned to their destination, everyone noticed their slightly damp hair and bags. Nami took a finger, letting it travel within her ear. She could still feel the moisture of water.

"Nami-chan, that is not ladylike!" spoke Hunny-sempai as she just stuck out her tongue, in a kidding way.

"You guys just came from the pool!" Haruhi walked over to them, carrying a small tray of tea and cakes. Hunny happily tried to jump to the cakes, falling short from success.

"Yeah, it was really fun. Hunny-chan will be swimming in no time!" Hunny was still trying to get the cake, but he was still a little too short.

"Wow, I wish I could go swimming; it has been a while." Anybody! Need help here!

Unexpectedly, a hand drew a plate of a piece of cake from Haruhi's tray, carrying it to the small form of the short blonde. He grasped onto the plate, smiling happily to the help. He looked up and saw the usual blank look on his cousin's face passing him his bunny as well.

"Thank you, Takashi." Takashi really does care about me, he thought. They were teammates and family, of course.

"I'm sorry." For once Hunny did not want his cake, so he placed it on the ground. He walked up to Mori, and hugged him, clearly not caring that anyone was watching. All the tall boy did was place his large hand, gently on his older cousin's head. Silly Takashi.

A/N: Aw, Hunny is too cute! I love when he smiles and talks in the anime. I thought he would be cuter with blue eyes and Tamaki have his brown eyes. But nevertheless, he is still cute.

O0o0o0o0o0, next up is the tree…aka Mori-sempai!


	5. Discuss your fear

A/N: I'm very excited to be writing so quickly; I was thinking that I would get writer's block quickly since I work a ll the t

A/N: I'm very excited to be writing so quickly; I was thinking that I would get writer's block since I work all the time, but I stay up just to write. Thank you everyone for reading!

P.S.

I would love to see more reviews; I love to write period. Nevertheless, I'm actually intrigued to hear from people's ideas or comments about certain characters, how the chapter is written, which character is their favorite, etc.

I think I am constructing a special chapter for certain reviewers, which will involve them in some way with the cast. So continue to review!

On with the chapter!

Chapter 5

Discuss your fear

Mori looked out the window, noticing the way the birds flew in the air. Their wings glided through the breeze, but once the breeze was gone, the bird flapped to support itself. Birds were so captivating and similar to the way Mori worked. He glided, but once the breeze was gone, he worked himself to keep going.

"Mori-sempai?"

The tall boy looked across to see Nami catching herself in her seat. Her heart raced through the beats, increasing the amount of anxiety inside her. Crap, she forgot what she was going to say next after getting his attention.

Mori observed the raven hair girl before him, letting his arms hang loosely on his legs. Of course he knew it was his time with his newest client. He watched Haruhi and Hunny become instantly attached to the newcomer, but could he? Usually, his clients and other classmates giggled or chatted with him about every little thing. He did not mind it; most of it was very enjoyable to be around. Still, Hunny was his usual interest. Nothing homosexual, but he knew the importance of being able to provide service for his favorite cousin. He was family, of course; it was in his blood.

"Mori-sempai, what should, uh, w-we discuss?"

Her voice betrayed her, cracking at the motion of starting a conversation. She was really trying; trying to give Hunny and Haruhi's comments of "the tree" a benefit of a doubt. His lean, long body with his rather blank expression gave her the idea of him being intimidating and bored. She had to think of something.

"The weather looks nice today….." Nami looked up at him, alarmed that he said something to her.

"Uh, y-yeah, it does. If I was bird, I would be flying out there." She stopped herself from finishing. A bird; she could reply with anything else, but she decided to pick a bird? She really needed to practice on her communicating skills.

"Hm…me, too."

Mori looked out the window once more, finding that a group of sparrows, lined up in a V shape, flew away from the school. A group of sparrows. They were like sparrows, the Host Club—wherever they went, they were always together. Now what they felt and how they acted, they were quite different. They dealt with situations differently, which is why he was having a hard time with this girl. It was not her fault; he just was used to having people talking AT him. Well, except Hunny.

"Mori-sempai, do you like birds?"

"Uh…" He jerked his head back to her, looking and thinking at the same time. Shit, maybe that was a stupid question, she thought. Why did she continue with adding on her humiliation?

"I do…. They are interesting and similar creatures to human beings, I think." He sat there, amazed by his thoughts and what he said.

Nami smirked to his comment, grasping herself in almost a loose self-hug while she looked out at the sky. The serene, blue sky radiated a sense of warmth and happiness, which she could understand why his gaze was so glued onto the heavens. It was as if she was looking at water.

"So, how was Hunny's swimming lesson?" He wanted to ask her opinion about the lesson ever since she saw Haruhi discussing it with the swimmer. It did not help when Hunny talked about the lesson for the past two days in and out of other conversations.

"Oh, it went very well. I was extremely happy that he tried hard. I think he wanted to show you he could do things on his own."

On his own? Mori slipped back into his thoughts, letting his blank expression look back to the sky. Many times he saw birds away from their flocks. They would travel alone, and he thought it was poignant. Of course he did some things on his own, but to see Hunny wanting to be alone, made him feel useless. It was as if the blonde senior did not want his protection.

Nami could see a glimpse of something in the tall boy's eyes. Of course, she was used to the blank face of his, but his eyes looked fairly scared. She replayed what she said and knew where her fault.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, sempai, Hunny wants to be around you always." Nami looked to see if he was listening and continued when she confirmed her answer. "Still, sometimes a friend or love one wants to show the person they care about what they can do, too."

"Hm." It was like a young bird to their mother aka protector, showing the slightest independence, which increased the happiness between them. He never really looked at it that way.

"Thank you, Nami-chan." It was the first time he spoke her name, which came out very smooth and silky. His deep tone melted her skin and yet increased the tenseness. She did not know if she was scared or nervous; His words hit her like a brick.

--

Mori waited for Hunny to finish his last slice of cake. It was already eight at night, and dinner was done, but Hunny wanted his treats. He could not leave the table until he ate his entire cake. It was his ritual and pleasure.

"Mitsukuni. Did you practice swimming lately?" asked Mori, watching the shorter boy stuff his mouth with the last of his cake.

"I sure did! I tried to swim without my board, but I almost forgot to use my arms! Silly Hunny!" Mori caught most of Hunny's words though his chewing. He passed the glass of milk to the blonde boy, which he replied with a smile of thanks.

For a moment, Hunny thought about their previous "fight", and thought a way that they could rekindle their closeness, if it was not already healed.

"Would you like to be there the next time I practice?"

Mori felt a smile pull on his lips, but nevertheless, he could not. Hunny was the baby bird; he had to do things on his own.

"No….but I want to be the first to see you swim."

Hunny did not get it at first, but he agreed to the small wish. He pondered his cousin's statement, and once the flash of a certain tall, raven hair girl appeared in his mind, he smiled. Nami-chan said something to Mori.

"Takashi, did you have fun with Nami-chan today?"

"Yes …."

"She's a nice girl. I hope you are helping with her problem." Mori did not actually understand what Hunny meant by that but he nodded his head. "I mean you should talk to her more. She is a afraid of you, but that's only because you're a tree!"

Hunny paused for a moment, feeling the uneasiness of silence. He then stopped his breath and watched his cousin's expression, but Mori simply arched his eyebrow to the comment. He was a tree? Hunny never called him that.

"Sorry, Takashi. Nami-chan called you that one day. It was only because she was scared of you!" Hmm, he was a tree, huh. Maybe he did have some words for the swimmer. He got up from the table, bowed his head, and left through the entrance. Shit, it was Hunny's fault once more.

--

"Mori-sempai!"

Name walked over to where the boys was sitting. She brought a small crème paper bag in her right hand while she slightly waved the other. She was actually happy and hoping to hear from Mori again. She felt so privelged to converse with him since Haruhi assured her that he barely talked.

Mori was looking out the window again, but once he heard her voice, he glanced to her, letting their eyes make contact, and looked back to the window.

"Sempai, I have a small gift for you."

"Trees don't get gifts." Nami stopped dead in her tracks, listening to his words carefully. Shit. She called him that. She was not going to deny it, so he continued. "I am a tree, am I right?"

Mori listened to his tone push into her, letting the words he spoke and the way he spoke hit her. Of course, he never really let things get to him, but he was not a tree.

"I'm sorry." She hurt him, she thought. She needed to justify her action. "I was really intimidated by you. You were so quiet and tall, like a tree. I was not familiar with you…..Dammit, I can really be such a bitch."

She scratched her hair with her hands, digging with frustration for being so rude. Now that she knew he was a good guy, she was so rude to say that. It was not his fault he did not talk to her; well, this made a good reason why NOT to talk to her.

Mori just watched her in amusement and sympathy as she tried to find the words. He could tell she did not really mean it. He listened closely to her mumbeling, not identifying the words coming out; as if she was talking to herself. She cared too much to really mean it. Besides, it was not that bad; he had heard worse about him.

"It's okay…." She looked up from rubbing her head and watched the silent boy just sit back in his chair, his long right arm laying on the top of the loveseat. She noticed then she was still standing, and so did he.

"Sit by me…" She gulped, loud enough for both of them to hear. He was leaning, almost taking up the space. Of course there was still space for her, but it was a love seat. The couch was so intimate…..Well, this was her punishment. Suck it up.

She took a seat by him after he took his arm off the top of the couch and placed it in his lap. Their eyes met, only for a second until she felt queasy. Wow, he was so close.

"What's in the bag?" Mori watched her, sensing the jerk back she did by his voice. Once the words hit within her head, she stifled a laugh, then reached down for the bag.

"It is just something that made me think of the conversation we had yesterday." She rushed to pass it to him, waiting paitently for him to open it.

The bag was not decorated nor did it present a logo. Mori opened it, letting the bag continue to hold its form. His finger felt the touch of smoothness with various points and a roundish side. He pulled the item out as held a bird scupture-- a full flock of doves winging their way skyward was the focus of the metalwork sculpture. It appeared to be hand cut from iron, each bird shaped in various stages of flight and etched with feathery detail. A warm, silver finished covering, which highlighted the piece.

"I saw a man make it in this market I went to yesterday." She watched his observing expression but continued. "It was not much, but I thought you might like it."

Mori was actually astounded. Hunny gave him thing that related to the scarce conversations they had, but Nami was listening. Her words she said yesterday, she was talking TO him. Once he said something, she listened carefully, almost inscribing the information in her mind to remember.

"I like it…very much…" His hand glided onto of her hair, just like he did with Hunny and once to Haruhi. She felt something in her head say to jump away, but she sat there. Why did she? Because something in her said it was okay. She was safe.

Mori placed the gift back into the bag and looked at her with such a small yet noticeable smile. Nami could not tell if it was his way of agreeing with his statement, but she liked it on him.

"Let us talk some more today, okay?" Nami's question added to the gift. Conversation reached out to people, creating connections and invitation to know people. Mori felt almost wanted to be known. He was not told to do something, such as when Tamaki and Haruhi ask him to do assignments, or when people asked where Hunny was; she wanted to know more about him. To know whom this tree was.

"Okay…."

--

After their session was over, Nami departed from Mori-senpai, only to make her way to Haruhi. She carefully watched the brunnette finish a conversation with Tamaki, pushing him away from his touch. Well, not really pushing; gliding her hands across his hand, but pushing once she knew someone was watching.

"Tamaki-san, I will call you sempai if you don't stop!" Tamaki whimpered, slightly letting his form move away from Haruhi. All he wanted to do was give her a hug for her hardwork.

Haruhi huffed her frustration but inwardly smiled and chuckled. He was such a funny guy, especially the way he would whimper. She did not enjoy his pain but he was kind of cute when he pouted his lips. Soon enough Haruhi noticed that Nami was looking at her….kinda.

"Oh, Nami-chan, you are done with Mori-sempai?" Haruhi looked and saw that the raven girl was in her own thoughts. The brunnette walked over once Tamaki found his usual spot in his brooding corner.

"Nami-chan?" Nami heard her name, and noticed Haruhi standing in front of her. Wow, Haruhi was a quick mover, she thought. Poor girl was not paying attention.

"Sorry about that. I was just thinking…" Nami placed her hand on her chest for a moment, thinking the last thing Mori-sempai said. He said he loved to swim, too.

A/N: Uh oh. Is Nami crushing? Well, I mean, duh! Haha, Mori-sempai does not get enough credit with people in the anime/ manga. I mean, I feel like he used for brute strength instead of long healthy conversations. Well, he might not want to because he expects it, but he was showed wrong.

Next up is the SHADOW KING!!


	6. Analyze your fear

A/N: Hey, everyone

A/N: Hey, everyone!! I went on a road trip with some friends this 4th of July weekend, but I'm back. It was so refreshing! Still, I wrote up some notes for the next four chapters, so I'm pretty excited to be back to write. Hahaha, I'm a dork sometimes.

On with the fic!

Chapter 6

Analyze your fear

Networking and information were necessities. To create or improve one's business, one must collect all the information, which involved groups of people and fascinating instruments. Well, that was Kyouya's plan; he was going to know everything, which meant to always be in a working element.

The raven hair junior analyzed the recent percentages within the club's clients, noticing slightly when Nami took a seat in front of him. He recalled his organizer this morning, noting the first year would be his client today. Rarely did he have clients; he preferred to be the behind the scenes manager, if you could say. Of course he would participate with the unusual setting and costume changes, but he preferred to work behind the books and his computer.

Across from him, Nami sat with her hands in her lap as she tapped the heel of her shoe on the ground. The raven hair girl had been sitting in her seat for the last ten minutes. Of course, she said Kyouya's name in a whisper, but he must have noticed her by now. He could not be ignoring her, could he?

"Ootori- sempai?"

Kyouya looked up from his writing, gazing into the nervous Nami's eyes, then looked back to his work. Nami stared at him for a moment; all he did look at her and went back to his work. Was Haruhi right? Was he the King of Workaholics?

"Ootori-sempai, you must work all the time!" His fingers stopped tapping onto the keys of his computer then went into his book.

"Hmm…" He was agreeing to her statement, as he continued his work. Nami froze for a moment, watching his slender hands pick of his pen to write. He had a sense of coolness to him-- his raven bangs hung over his glasses, his free hand placed under his smooth chin, and his back slightly arched over his work as his leg crossed over the other. He delivered such a strong aroma of calm and collectiveness. It was as if Mori and Kyouya had been brothers.

Thinking of the tall host member, Nami's eye surveyed the room until her emerald eyes came across Mori and Hunny. The two senior host members took seats in front of their clients. She envied those girls at this moment. They were going to have discussions and laughter, while she was going to listen to her host scribble in his notes and tap on his computer. So unfair.

"You're improving very quickly."

Nami jerk her head back, hitting the back of her chair sharply. She whispered her cursing, feeling the sharp pain on the nape of her neck. Kyouya observed the tomboy, collecting her mannerism. What an interesting person, he thought.

"I'm improving?" She asked, waiting for his explanation as he rubbed her neck.

"Well, I recall looking at your psychoanalyst's notes." He took out the exact paper from one of his file lying on the table, beginning to address what was written. " You had a slight case of androphobia, which addressed your problem of looking, touching, and talking to men, at the age of 11…. Look at you now, we seemed to be having a conversation with eye glances, and you are fine."

Nami smirked, feeling pleased with this information. Well, of course she questioned herself why he had some type of files on her, but decided not to verbally ask. Still, she had other questions.

"So, you have been watching me then?"

"Hmmmmm, more like observing. I have been calculating the effort everyone has been using on you while collecting the data with observing your mannerisms and your topics." He looked at her for a moment to see if she was listening and continued. " I ask each of the host members about what you ask or the way you answer things. I even take the opportunity to observe you before and after your session; especially lately, when you eyes look for Mori-sempai."

Kyouya looked over at one of the tables and reach over for a cup of tea. His mouth sipped the tea after he prepared the exact amount of honey within the drink. His lecture of his findings has made the raven hair boy quite thirsty.

Nami felt something in her body push her temperature up. She could sense a small headache forming in her head as her cheeks began to glow a bright scarlet. Who was this person and who the hell gave him the right to _know_ her without her permission?

"Ootori-sempai, I would just like to say that I am NOT a test subject." Her voice broke away from a relaxed tone to almost an insistent tone.

Kyouya moved his teacup away from his mouth, brushing his steel eyes to her emerald. For a moment, he played with the idea of challenging her tone but he quickly declined the invitation; she was just being a woman and he would crushed her…. significantly. He chuckled at the thought.

"I must apologize. You are not a test subject; I was just seeing how much help our club is for you. It is only business." With that, he recalled a chart within the club's budget for dining ware he had not checked. His hand glided toward one of his files on his table, picking up his pen to write down the progress in his other notebook. He was at work once more.

Nami felt a small jab of pain in her forehead, knowing that her anger was rising. He first discussed his notes on her "improvement" from his observation and then went back to his work. It was as if she carried no real purpose to him-- she was no friend, no schoolmate, nothing. He had more things to look at than to entertain her, THOUGH that was his job.

Taking a small sigh, she decided to try one more time.

"Ootori- sempai, do you have any hobbies?"

"My work."

Nami scoffed at his easily thoughtless reply, pushing half of his files and books to the floor. That was it! She could feel her cheeks burn once more from all the fiery burning of annoyance and anger.

Kyouya slowly looked at her, watching the younger girl stand with her things in her hands. Calmly, the glasses wearing boy bent down to pick up his things, thinking how this client was being quite…. unruly.

Once his eyes pierced her eyes, she could feel jagged shivers cover her back. In one serious glance, Kyouya quickly had the girl on defense. She awkwardly straightened her back in attention. Haruhi was right; he was a man of mystery and sinister atmosphere.

"Nami-chan, was that really necessary?"

"N-no, but we've been here for almost half an hour and I have been playing almost a game to get your attention!" Once she said her words, she could feel her anger appear once more. "I may just be a client to you, but I still am a person."

With that, she walked out of the room, feeling her hand massage her forehead. She knew she was being a little immature, and maybe Mori was watching, but for now, she had to get away from the…workaholic!

--

Kyouya sat at his table, finishing the creation of the newest information of next week host club setting changes--a scarlet and black room filled with dice and card games. A casino would be such a great idea for more money, he thought. All he needed was Tamaki's approval and he could acquire the props and costumes for the event.

As soon as he closed his notebook, his cell phone rang. Haruhi? What did she need at this hour?

"Haruhi, what is it?"

"Wow, thanks for the salutations." Kyouya let out a small chuckle.

"I apologize. How may I help you?"

"Nami-chan. She seemed very angry about your session with her. I don't know what happened but I can only imagine."

Imagine what? It was not like he was a ranting idiot like Tamaki or over impish like the Hitachiin duo. He was more calculated and calm.

"Haruhi, Nami-chan and I are not seeing eyes because she was not patient enough. Do not worry, tomorrow is a better day." He could hear a small scoff from the other end of the line.

"Listen, sempai, Nami is a person with feelings. She may seems to be very composed, but she still is girl with feelings and needs." Kyouya could sense she was waiting for him to reply, but why should he? "Besides, if you were a bad host member, couldn't she comment negatively on your work?"

It was true; in a sense, Nami was his boss. Kyouya knew how to serve and manage relationships with people in business. He would analyze the person, understanding what they liked or not, diminishing any type of complication for a successful connection. Now that he thought about it, he knew the little things of Nami but not even to keep her pleased.

"I will keep that in mind, Haruhi."

"Okay, good night, sempai." He hung the phone up, recollecting his tasks ahead. He had to redeem himself.

--

Just one more second, he thought, writing in the recent news of the events coming up for the Host club. He needed to finish his work, but Nami was already here. Kyouya was not stressing, of course not. Still, he knew she was probably plagued with negative ideas about him, and he was about perfection. His work was his life.

Once he finished, Kyouya looked up to the raven hair girl, but her glance was away from him. She sat, one foot laying on her other leg's knee, with her arms lying on the top of her couch. She was relaxed yet intensely glancing to where Mori sat with one of his clients.

Nami could not understand why her eyes were on the silent boy so much. When she stepped one foot within the room, she would survey the large room, hoping that Mori would share a small conversation with her. Of course, she was not his client anymore, but she could not help to search for something in him. She still did not understand what.

"Nami-chan?"

Nami glanced over to Kyouya, not really turning her head yet.

"I must sincerely apologize for my behavior. You are right; you are a person, and I did not give you my attention. The faults are my errors alone." He stood from his chair, bowing to her with a hand to his heart. His voice and expression carried sincerity, which he hoped she could sense.

The swimmer turned her head to him, crossing her leg over the other. Now, he finally understood. She pulled her arms into a self-hug, nodding her head.

"It's okay…I'm sorry for walking out. It was kinda stupid of me to be that childish."

"No, you had every right." He quickly grinned at her, making the girl relax her arms into her lap. "I am a very busy person; I guess it was how I was raised."

"Really?" asked Nami.

"Yeah, being the third son of my father created a competition between my siblings for his business. I'm the youngest son, but I want to prove that I am right for taking over the company."

Kyouya wrapped his arms around himself, collecting the thoughts of his family and him. Almost eighteen years of his life, he was the son with least amount of rights to the family's company. His brothers moved onto college, both establishing that the oldest would probably take over, but he was not out of the fight. He was going to do his work, increasing his knowledge and impressing his father. He was going to be the heir; all he needed to do was continue his search for networking and strategies.

"When you work so hard, you want to become the best." She stopped for a moment, collecting her words in the best way for him to understand. "When I began to swim, I wanted to be the best just to get my mother's attention. I trained for years—am still training—but I know that I'm improving. Nevertheless, I can't work and train all the time—being able to have fun helps, too."

He knew that, of course, but lately he hasn't taken the idea into consideration. He was the backbone of the club and he needed to be on top of things to increase the amount of business. However, Nami was right; Kyouya has not had true fun in such a long time.

"So? How about we have a good time today by getting to know each other," stated Nami. "I promise you this will be a fun session."

Kyouya felt a smirk crept onto his face. So, she was going to make a promise for his benefit. It was as if the whole client and host positions have been switched. This might be an intriguing change of events.

"What's your hobbies?"

"I like to paint."

--

Nami stood up, feeling actually a bit at ease. The session went better than she planned. Their conversations, filled with witty comments and feedback, created a strange connection between them; Nami understood the complex, mysterious "Shadow King" was actually straightforward, if you asked him nicely. She admired his dedication to become heir of his family's company.

"So, Ootori-sempai, did you have fun?" asked the raven hair girl as she grabbed her bag.

"Actually, I really did." Conversation was not just about grabbing information from a person. It was also a game of interests. They both played the game very well, in his opinion. He gained information and advice while she gained the ability to reduce her fear. Even though her family did nothing for his family's company, she was quite accommodating.

"Well, good!" She reached her hand out, hoping to make truce once more. Kyouya, at first looked at it, arching his eyebrow at the notion of physical contact. But once he concluded his analysis in his mind, he reached out while standing and shook the swimmer's hand.

"You really are doing well, Nami-chan. To be able to have physical contact with me is evidence enough." She thought about it then smile at his observation. "Nevertheless, you're going to be in a lot of trouble with your next hosts."

Her smile dropped, forming into a thin line. She was going to do bad next? Why would she, she was doing so well? Wait, who was next?

"Sempai, who—"She did not need to finish since Kyouya pointed directly behind the girl. The swimmer turned around to see the Hitachiin twins caressing and touching a somewhat jaded Haruhi as their "lord" yelled toward them.

"How dare you touch Haruhi-chan in that fashion!"

"Milord, we can do whatever we want…" Hikaru squeezed his arms around the brunette's waist; bring her closer into his form.

"Yeah, Haruhi-chan let's us touch her all the time in class." Kaoru kept his hold on Haruhi, only to increase the frustration from the blonde president.

Tamaki gritted his teeth, rolling his hands into a tighter fist, but the real action was with Nami. Her body became colder and her eyes could only continue staring at the twins. They were next? She was so happy with the way they stopped harassing her, but once she's back in front of them, they would let her have.

Nami lowered herself in her seat, whimpering slightly to what her future would bring. Kyouya could not help but acknowledge how more entertaining this girl would be in the near future. She was either going to yield to the twin's mischievous ways or she was going to be destroyed by their mischievous ways. Either way, this would be great for his notes and observation.

TBC

A/N: Eh, this is not one of my favorites chapters, but Kyouya is my fourth favorite (Kaoru, Hikaru, Mori, then Kyouya). I wanted to comment in this fic on how he is always seen with work. Nevertheless, I think he needs more fun times!

P.S. I promise the next chapter will be way better!

Next is the TWINS!


	7. Identify your fear

A/N: Yay, Chapter 7

A/N: Yay, Chapter 7. Just so you know, I particularly love the number seven and it is quite the coincidence that the chapter is with the Hitachiin twins. I'm rather fond of them, and I hope to write them well. We'll see…. Heh.

On with the fic!

Chapter 7

Identify your fear

"Kaoru."

Warmth, the only condition the younger twin could feel. His legs entangled with Hikaru's as his arms wrapped around his waist. The closeness of his brother's body kept Kaoru feeling secure and relieved. Well, not everything could last.

"Kaoru, it's time to get up," whispered Hikaru slightly releasing from Kaoru.

"Hikaru, just a little while longer." When they were home, his brother was his. They were back into caring for one another and he loved to feel wanted. Of course, Kaoru loved his friends, especially the Host Club members, but his brother was his best friend. Once at school, Hikaru would see Haruhi; then their attachment would be placed on hold.

Hikaru placed a hand on his younger brother's head, chuckling at the whining tone of his plea. Kaoru was becoming a little childish nowadays. Usually, the younger brother would understand about others, but recently, the younger brother would hold onto him, a little longer than expected.

Kaoru's eyes slowly opened, observing the impish eyes of Hikaru. He did not understand at first, but then his lips pulled into a wide smile. Today was the day. Today was THEIR day.

"Hikaru, should we—"

"Yes. Shower, meet in the planning room, and then to school."

Kaoru jumped out of the bed, jogging out of his brother's bed to his own room. Hikaru lie in bed, placing his arms under his head as he stared at the ceiling. He was looking forward to this day; playing with new people was always a fun game for them. Yet, when he tried several times to think about what they could do, gentle chestnut eyes and thin lining of lips appeared in his vision. He did not want to upset _her. _

--

Nami looked up at the clock in the classroom. Shit, ten minutes, she thought. All night long she did not have the capability to have a restful sleep. Her thoughts were plagued by the first couple of days at the school-- the sliding hands against her skin, the nip of teeth on the nape of her neck, the whisper crept within her ear. Normally, a girl would be driven into ecstasy, but Nami was driven into madness; Madness that will probably haunt her even after being cured. You will always remember your darkest moment, she thought. She would never forget those feelings by those boys.

"Nami-chan, are you okay?"

Nami looked up to see a smiling Haruhi standing with her arms behind her. Haruhi debated whether or not to break the girl from her thoughts, but she thought it would be best since her face was growing an expression of tiredness.

"Haruhi-san, for a moment, I thought it was Hikaru and Kaoru." Nami slumped into her chair the moment she said the twins' names. Man, even saying their name frightened her.

"Don't worry about them so much, Nami-chan. You're doing well!"

"Yeah, well, everyone seemed to respect people's personal bubble."

The swimmer rose from her chair, feeling more weight than usual, trying to keep her in her spot. She was doing so well, she really was, but the idea of the tricks from her fellow classmates; she did not know if she really could handle it. Maybe this was her ultimate challenge.

"Haruhi-san, I have a question." Nami grabbed her bag while the two began to walk out of the classroom. "What do you think of the Hitachiin twins?"

Haruhi placed her hand under her chin, intently thinking of the correct words. Oh, she had such a vast list of things to say about the twins. It went from ridiculous, mischievous leprechauns to daring, rebellious rich punks to loveable, great friends.

"Hikaru and Kaoru are pretty out there sometimes, but they do mean well." Haruhi stopped Nami before continuing with their walk; she had to be honest. " I'm going to be frank, they're going to try to play with you."

Yeah, she knew that, but what she didn't know was how to handle her sanity.

"I just to know how to handle them." Then it hit her. "Haruhi-san, how do you do it?"

--

It was interesting for the swimmer to be in front of her horror, but to see them being nice to her was not what she was expecting.

"Would you like some tea, Nami-chan." Hikaru poured the tea without even waiting for the reply. His fingers gripped onto her teacup, waiting for Nami to accept it, which she did. She did not, however, expect his hand to trail along her own fingertips.

Nami's reaction was quickly grabbing hold to her teacup then lessening her shaking within her fingers. Whoa, she was not expecting to be this nervous. The raven hair girl surveyed their eyes to only see slight innocence with a large mixture of entertainment. She took her tea, letting her lips sip the stream of liquid, then placing it back onto the table. She had to be alert.

"Nami-chan, I have heard you are doing a great job with your phobia," spoke Hikaru drinking from his teacup.

"Uh, yeah, I guess…"

"Would you like some cake?" asked Kaoru motioning over to the treats. She glanced at him, arching her eyebrow while he continued to vivaciously smile at her. Oh, he cannot be serious, thought Nami.

"No, thank you."

"Oh, but Nami-chan, it is really good. I promise you. You must try it."

Kaoru took the piece of cake, a vanilla truffle cake with an excess of whip cream, and decided to sit beside Nami. She watched his movement carefully; observing the way the younger twin cut a small piece onto his fork. His amber eyes lingered with hers before lightly pushing the piece of cake into her mouth. The texture and the taste were actually good, very good.

"Mm, hey, this is really delicious." Nami began to relax as she kept letting Kaoru feed her piece-by-piece. Each bite she took, the worry began to dissolve. She really did not understand why she could not feed herself, but she did not mind at all. Especially since they were not doing anything.

Hikaru looked over to the pair, actually finding it quite comical that the raven hair girl just left herself open.

"Oh, Nami-chan, there's whip cream on your face."

Before she could even react, Kaoru leaned into her. His tongue licked softly onto her cheek, taking the small sweetness into his own mouth. Nami stared, blinking her emerald eyes widely at his action. These boys were bad news!

Nami hopped up, bringing her face into a nervous smile and one of her hands rubbing her hair.

"Guys, I think we should go early from this session. I mean, you probably have a lot of other clients!"

Hikaru and Kaoru moved to each side of her, hugging her small waist. " No, we don't want you to go, Nami-chan."

"But you're making it extremely hard for me to just sit and talk to you!"

They looked at each other for a moment, nodding slightly to the next stage." We'll talk to you if you win a little game."

"A little game?" The twins smirked while pulling out two identical hats from under their uniforms.

In a huge whirlwind, the two brothers danced amongst each other, creating a small breeze, and placed the green hats on their head. Nami watched, wondering the effect of this ridiculous movement. To be honest, she was actually getting slightly dizzy. Maybe she should close her eyes.

"We are ready!" Nami's thoughts yielded as the twins stood locking arms with one another in her view.

"Ooookay? So what's the game?"

"Which one of us is Hikaru, and which one of us is Kaoru."

Their voices and their mannerisms were exact, gazing with an already victorious smile on their faces. Nami sat in her chair, finally understanding Haruhi's words. So this was their little game, huh?

"Okay, how about we have a bet with this little game." Nami rubbed the hem of her skirt, thinking intently of what to say next. " If I win, you must stop your 'poking fun at me' and genuinely talk to me—that's all I really want."

For a moment, both of the twins faltered, finding a piece of Haruhi within Nami, but brushed it off immediately. Oh, they were not fools—they would not be played since they were the true players.

"Okay, and if we win—" one brother started.

"You will be our toy for the rest of the school year." the other brother ended.

The notion of being a toy for someone was not really appealing for Nami; it mildly pissed her off. Here she was trying her best to be accustomed to being around guys, and these twins decided to play around with her weakness. Now, it was time to show them who was the clever one.

"Fine. It's on." Nami stood up, observing the brothers as she tried to find their weakness. Her eyes brushed against theirs, but they did not even submit. Nami circled them, trying to find something. Anything.

Hikaru glanced over to his brother, which was followed by Kaoru looking at him. This was it and no mess-ups. They had so many things lined up for the swimmer and they wanted to continue the mayhem. Nothing could mess this up.

"Nami-chan, what are you doing?"

The three players of the game looked over to see Haruhi carrying a tray of tea. At first, Nami knew she needed to concentrate, and any distraction would just dissolve her investigation. But once she remembered the slightest thought she had the other day, a grin plagued on her face. Oh, Haruhi was actually her savior.

"Hey, Haruhi-san! We're actually playing a game."

"Oh, the "identifying game", huh?" Haruhi looked at the twins. Yep, she already knew who was who. "Do you want a clue?"

"No, that's cheating!" unison the twins, continuing their exact movement and voice.

"Yeah, they're right, but it was nice of you to come over." Nami gazed at Haruhi, underlying a small message, which Haruhi picked up instantly. Girls were so much smarter sometimes.

Haruhi glanced over to the twins, glancing at each one slowly then resting her eyes at Hikaru. Shit. So simple their eye lock was, and so quickly it left before Haruhi turned her head. " You two play nicely with Nami-chan, okay?" She looked over her shoulder at the twins, with a warning expression, but then slipped into her natural smile before walking off. Oh, girls were so much smarter.

Nami gazed at the twins, who were watching Haruhi leave. It was funny, in a way. The two of them left their playing cards open, for a moment. But with that moment, she had a big hunch.

The twins looked back at the player, presenting and waiting for Nami to choose. "Come on, come on. We don't have all day, Nami-chan."

The swimmer had only a hunch; and it was a big one, but it was not certain. She gave out a huff while letting her hand brush her other arm—wait, that was it.

"May I touch you for a moment?" The twins looked at one another, wondering the effect of physical contact could do to her investigation. Feeling nothing promising for her favor would come from it, they both nodded.

Nami quickly clapped her hands together, thinking this was it. She walked over to Hikaru, brushing his hand onto her cheek, neck, and arm. Once she was done, she walked over to Kaoru, doing the same thing. The hunch turned into certainty. She saw their cards well enough, but now she had the full house.

"Okay. You're Hikaru." She pointed to brother on the left and then pointed to brother on the right. "And you're Kaoru."

The twins stood, stiffly finding Nami smiling at them in her conclusion. With a slight touch from them, she knew who which one was which. This girl has only been accustomed to their existence for only a week and a couple of days, and she already could identify them. The only person who could have done that was Haruhi.

"Well done." Hikaru was the first one to establish her win verbally.

Nami smiled, letting the pressure she still felt flow out of her body. "Thank you, Hikaru-san!" She gave her hand out to him in a shake, which he slowly accepted.

Kaoru looked at their exchange, but mentally he was a little upset. He wanted to win. He wanted to come to school, making mischief with his brother to the girl because they could do something else together. Even in congratulating her, his brother looked relieved in not winning. Did he not want to continue their bonding time?

"Kaoru-san." He blinked back into reality, seeing Nami's hand wave within his face.

"Oh, sorry, I was just thinking."

"Okay. Well, since I won, how about we talk about each other." Her smile was genuine, but at that moment, Kaoru wanted it away. He wanted to be happy.

--

Hikaru gazed at his brother, sitting up to the window in his bed. It was rather late, but the older brother could not sleep with his brother turning away from him. It was as if the warmth was gone or at least different. Lying in bed, dazed and curious, he called out to his brother.

"You looked so relieved when Nami-chan won, Hikaru." Kaoru's voice gave a little evidence of his disappointment, which triggered Hikaru to sit up in his bed.

"The girl was going to have heart attacks, if we continued."

"Why? You used to not care."

"Look, Nami played the game and won. Let's leave it at that."

Kaoru looked back at his brother then back out the window. Did Hikaru really think that answer would justify everything? He was a fool.

"You did it not for her." Kaoru waited for her brother to understand, but decided to spell it out for him. "You did it for Haruhi."

Hikaru knew that. His feelings for Haruhi were stronger than his want to play with Nami. But what he did not know was that simple little events rose the question of his closeness to Kaoru…. well, in Kaoru's mind, it did.

"I'm losing you, Hikaru, and you don't even know it." The younger brother, swiftly with slight difficulty, crawled over Hikaru and dipped into the darkness to his room. At first, Hikaru was wondering what was the problem, but that was it: their brain and heart worked differently now.

--

Nami could not understand what was really wrong. Both of the Hitachiin twins answered her questions, commenting to things she said, but the way they presented was one on one almost. Verbally and visually, she could tell the difference between them—their amber eyes glanced only to her not each other, their body language displayed attention toward her not the other, and the communication was only commented when she talked. The two brothers neglected one another, ignoring the existence of the partnership they had.

"Hikaru-san, Kaoru-san, what's wrong?" She was not going to pretend and she was actually to the point.

"Nothing. Everything is fine." Did they really think she was stupid?

"Really…. Hikaru-san, could you go see Haruhi-san for a moment? I want to talk to Kaoru-san alone."

He hesitated for a moment, thinking nothing could come from their talk, but she was the client. They had to comply with her orders. Besides, maybe seeing Haruhi would bring up his spirits…though he would not tell her.

Watching Hikaru leave, Kaoru felt abandoned. His older brother left without reassuring him anything, which is why he felt like this. He worried that his brother was really reaching out for someone else than him.

"Kaoru-san, what's wrong?"

"Why did you let Hikaru go to Haruhi?" He did not know why he answered that way, but he wanted to question her action as well.

"Hikaru-san likes Haruhi."

"You knew?"

"Oh, it's so obvious! I mean that was one of the ways I knew you two were different by the way he watched Haruhi leave." She smirked for a moment, self-hugging her arms around her torso. "I might have been scared of guys, but I can read people easily."

The ginger hair boy nodded, thinking never to underestimate this girl.

"Now, come on, what's the deal with you two? You guys are usually a team, but today you seem to be—"

"Separated? My thoughts exactly." Kaoru looked past her, visioning the interaction between the brunette and his brother. He could see Haruhi delivering a reassuring smile while Hikaru physically pretended to not care when he really treasured her smile and attention.

Nami looked to where the younger brother was looking and found her answer. "You're jealous."

Kaoru cocked his head, widening his eyes to her assumption. "Wha—"

"You want Haruhi all to yourself! I knew it!"

Oh, boy…. maybe he did not have anything to worry about with her assumptions.

"I don't really care about that. I want my brother to be happy. If he wants to date Haruhi, then I would hope for the best for them."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I-I just feel like we are not as close."

Nami waited for more explanation, but her mind began to present evidence and explanation all on its own. Being twins, they were physically and emotionally dependent on each other. Even as they continue their lives, their dependence on the other grows, but Kaoru thinks that if Haruhi is Hikaru's attention for the moment, he would place his brother on the side. Good work, brain, good work.

" Kaoru-san, your brother and yourself will always be close; you should know that."

"I know, but I'm still so dependent on him." He felt his voice waver for a moment before he continued. "All we had was each other, and since Haruhi has been in our life, Hikaru just began to drift his attention to her."

"When I was little, my mom and I were really close. She was my best friend, and I wanted to do things with her all the time." She looked to him, seeing a nod from him for continuation. "Well, once my mom started going abroad to tours and building her studios across the world, I became very scared. I felt she was not going to be the same, that she would loose interest in me."

Nami felt herself give a chuckle, a small one, while grinning at the thought of her younger self. She kicked, screamed, and pleaded for her mother to stay. She was being selfish, she knew that now, but her mother was her only real friend during that time. Silly that he was going through the things she did when she was younger.

"What happened?" He asked only to see where she was going with this.

"Well, when my mom came back, it was as if she wasn't gone. She would teach me to dance and take me to swim. It was as if nothing changed. We shared different things that happened with us, but we were still close."

Nami sat beside him, pulling his cheek toward her to look. She wanted to give him a message, almost an empathize word of advice. He glanced within her eyes, finding specks of brown to radiate the color and liveliness in them.

"He cares for you a lot, just as much as you care about him. You will always have your brother, whether a girl or two step in between the both of you. And if the times come that you two feel too different, you'll still be growing closer, finding different things to feel connected with or at least interested to talk about."

Kaoru examined the truthfulness in the girl's face and voice. The brothers were changing compared to the day when all the conversations they shared were with each other. Their lives were changing, but that does not mean they won't still be dependent on each other. They can still share talks, opinions, plans, witty comments, and even beds. Their time was changing, but their love was the same.

"Thank you." He was surprised at his own voice sounding so sincere.

Nami only gave a nod as she stood up, feeling almost excited knowing she could help. Maybe now they wouldn't tease her, she thought.

"How about we walk over and join Haruhi-san and your brother?"

"Wait, I have a question," spoke Kaoru grabbing her wrist for a moment.

She instantly pulled away, feeling a slight shiver come over her body, but delivered a slight smirk to him.

"How else did you know who I was in the game?"

At first, the raven hair girl did not understand the question, but remembered the previous day of "Which is which" game. Oh, explanation was needed.

"Well, like I said, Hikaru has that different way he looks at Haruhi." For a moment, she paused, brushing her hair with her right hand in an almost hardy way. "But you have the touch."

Kaoru just glanced at her, arching his eyebrow. She needed to say more than that.

"When Hikaru touched me, all I felt was his touch, nothing more. But when you touched me in any way, you give me this jagged pulse, shivers down my back—it's really weird, not bad, but weird."

She did not really mean anything by that notion, but somehow she hit a nerve in Kaoru. She turned from him, walking over to Haruhi, which Hikaru glanced over to his brother. The instant their eyes met, everything was okay.

"Kaoru!"

"Hikaru!"

Warmth, that was all he needed from his brother. Kaoru grabbed onto his brother, feeling the warmth that had been alluring for days. He looked into his brother's eyes, seeing what Nami was discoursing.

"I'm sorry, Hikaru. I will never doubt you again."

"It's okay, Kaoru." Their hug was emotive, expressing what was clear. Brotherly love was what they had even when things changed.

TBC

A/N: Sincerely, I was up and down with some decisions about this chapter, but I think it came out the way I wanted. I I was going to start a lot more, but the chapter was long enough…..I wondered what Kaoru thinks about his explanation.

Anyway, I hoped you liked it!

Next if the final stage…Tamaki!


	8. Kiss your fear Goodbye

A/N: Yay, I'm really excited!! One more chapter then some real fun begins!!

One thing to say, to those reviewers (Fk306 animelover, ixedward, KinKitsune01, Froggerton, Xtwilightdreamerx, toshirogurl, and Yami Yugi Alexander the 4th), thank you so much for your reviews. For your dedications, I need names (first and last), age, and somewhat personality (sum in a sentence). Those characters, which I will revise, will be placed for a chapter or two in the near future. Just review it in ASAP!!

Now, on with the fic!

Chapter 8

Kiss your fear…good bye

His fingers brushed along the keys, gently playing the music notes within the air. He brushed his sapphire eyes to his sheets of music, letting the exact notes hit the exact moment. It was such a treat to play, Tamaki thought. The ringlets of music caressed his ears, pushing back all the care and all the complications addressed. He also felt as if revived with the happiness he once had.

"Mama…"Tamaki whispered, but the music took over as the ruling sound. No one heard his words; the maids and butlers stood gazing at the child of optimism and also the child of sin. He should be sad. He should be mad. Hell, he should be going crazy. He was not; he was just incredibly happy…or just naïve.

"Young master, it is time for school."

Tamaki rested his fingers on the last chord of notes, enchanted by the drifting of it in the atmosphere. The notion of school was always relaxing to hear. Students would groan or complain, but he looked forward to that time. The time when his eyes would gaze upon the women who adored him, and a woman who knew who he was.

"Haruhi."

--

"Haruhi!"

The brunette watched Nami taking her time to walk over. She carried a small booklet in her hands, which appeared to have a swimmer in the midst of a pool.

"Hey, what's that?"

"Oh, I'm on the cover of _Teen Swimmers_!" She threw it on the desk, which actually triggered the twins to take notice of the book itself. Nami, presented with a little number of a blue one piece, was pictured doing a front crawl. Even in the picture, they could see the radiance of her wanting to be in the water. It was her element.

"Wow, you look great, Nami-chan!"

"I'll say! I mean I've never seen your mouth quite that big before." Kaoru smiled, sensing the scowl on Nami's face, but she only did it jokingly.

"Why did they do the article on you?" asked Hikaru picking up the magazine to read.

"I'm hoping to break the record for the fastest time in swimming a mile in a 50 meter pool."

The trio sat there, looking at their fellow classmate. Let's see, one mile equaled approx.1, 609 meters, which meant she swam roughly 32 laps. To think a person could accomplish such an idea would be nothing short from remarkable.

"Umm, well, good luck to that, Nami-chan," spoke Kaoru, lightly tapping the girl on the back.

"You know, Nami-chan, today and tomorrow are your last days with being a client. Are you excited?" spoke Haruhi pulling Hikaru closer, so she could look at the book as well.

"Yeah, I'm pretty glad you guys kinda made me do it. I mean, it's been almost two weeks, and I'm pretty much cured." Nami could not really believe it, to be honest. She thought she would be doing it for months, even a year, and still crash and burn.

"It pays to just be able to open yourself up, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess, you're right."

"Is Tamaki-san your next host?"

She shrugged her arms, barely remembering the name.

"You know the blonde guy you hit in the face?" Oh, yeah. The name was not familiar, but she would never forget the incident.

"You are going to have so much fun with our lord." It wasn't what the twins said but the way they said their comment. Every since the incident when they first met, she actually thought of him as a pervert. Needless to say, even though she overcame the twins, she did not know what to expect since he was last. Only time could tell.

--

"Welcome, my princess."

Those words were her only warning before the blonde president took his chance for advancing. His hand crept onto her chin, tipping it slightly for her eyes to reach his. The simple affection was his identity since he was known to be such a charmer. Well, to most women.

"Nami-chan, I can only think of being with you at this moment." He lowered himself closer to her, letting his lips brush slightly against her ear. "You and I here together, that's all I want."

It didn't started out big, but she could not stop it. Nami let out a short laugh, then a chime of chuckles followed. Once she heard her own chuckles, she began to feel wholehearted laughter escape her mouth, which pushed the blonde boy back. What in the world was going on, he thought.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just can't take it anymore." Her laughter started to die out before she gave out a long, relieved sigh.

Tamaki just smiled, slumping back into the seat. This was for her anyway. Sure, he was trying to see if she would be attracted to him, but he was not going to mope about it. Maybe later though, but not right now.

"Sempai, you sure do have an interesting way to talk to a girl though." She sat back watching other clients converse between themselves or with their hosts. "I guess I can see why you're popular."

"Thank you; it is hard to sometimes display the talents that I convey."

Nami looked over to him, feeling another laughter wanting to be expressed, but she could not over do it; it would hurt his feelings.

"I saw you today on _Teen Swimmers._"

"Really?" To be completely honest, she did not even know if the guy liked swimming. He looked more like a guy to bathe in the sun.

"Yeah, I read you're only ten seconds to beat the time. Is it for personal reason or just for fun?"

She never really thought anybody would really take time to ask details about her work. Of course, she played with the light talk about how she could not live without water, but her reasoning was always a mystery.

Nami turned to him, letting her emerald eyes glance to him. "I think of it as both."

Something so simple to say, but there were so many questions. Tamaki poured some tea into some teacups as he delivered a cup to her and saved a cup for him. She sipped it, and then saw his eyes press her on.

"I guess I've always wanted to be good at something since my mom was good at dance. The water gives me a lot of relief—I was in this pool, swimming till I was really tired, and all I had to think about was my next stroke." She took another sip then continued. "I really think I was made for the water, but not a lot of people understand how much I love it."

"—I fully understand. I, myself, play the piano. It creates beautiful melody."

"The piano? I see you're more of a violin player," She meant it as a joke.

"Really? I could see that, tuning the string instrument as I freely could be moved while dance as I played." He placed his tea down as he stood up in front of her. He formed an air violin in his hand, pretending to strum the strings into tune. His motions were vast and slow, at first, until he decided to change the motion. Soon, dance was in order, as he closed his eyes. Too bad his eyes were closed or he would not have tripped on one of the ottomans.

"Sempai, are you all right?" Her sincerity was lost through the chimes of chuckling between her words.

He suddenly stood, carrying only a genuine smile as an idea struck into his head. "Would you like to hear me play?"

"Sure." Without even reacting, Tamaki took Nami's hand, pulling her to the destination of a piano within the room. The fine instrument perched solely in the middle, displayed a nice crème color with ivory keys. A piano suited for a king.

The blonde president sat down in front of the piano, stretching and cracking his fingers. Once his fingers began to play along the instrument, the melody flourished through the room. The scent of beauty crept into the song, gliding within every person in the room. One by one, the girls walked over to the piano, listening with sheer adoration and bliss. Even the other host members came over to enjoy or at least heckle their president.

Haruhi walked over to Nami, but Nami did not notice at all. Even when Mori and Hunny took the other side of her, she did not notice at all. All she could see was Tamaki playing and hearing his music…His song of something deeper than what other people could see.

"I guess our lord is showing off once more," spoke Hikaru taking Haruhi's side.

"Well, what do you expect, he loves the attention." Replied Kaoru shrugging his shoulders.

"As long as the clients are happy, we can indulge with his entertainment." Kyouya made a note in his notebook for the idea of Tamaki having a concert.

"Well, I like it and so does Takashi, right Takashi?" The tall boy looked down to his blonde cousin, nodding to the assumption he made.

"What do you think of it, Nami?" asked Haruhi, but her word trailed when she saw the girls face.

Nami pushed through the crowd of girls, brushing against their side or back to get to Tamaki. She stood there waiting for him to finish. His eyes, closed since the beginning of the song, finally opened once he placed his hands in his lap. He could see her face, but all he did was smile at her—genuinely smile.

"I call it "Mother's Love"."

That was all she needed for that moment. She was not used to it, but a stream of tears flowed down her eyes. Tamaki stood up, opening his arms to her, which somehow her body accepted. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. The strong, laid-back swimmer was crying.

--

Tamaki sat in his bed, glancing at the latest _Teen Swimmers_. He did not know why, but he wanted to look for something. His eyes brushed against the pages, identifying every line and every sentence. Of course many people cried once they heard him play, but the way Nami cried was not something usual. It felt held back.

The article only talked about her background, something useful but already known. His intention was something deeper. This article was getting him nowhere; what he needed were people who knew her.

Tamaki picked up his phone, calling the very girl he knew might have answers.

"Haruhi-chan, how are you tonight?"

She stifled a small sigh before replying. "Tamaki-san, it is pretty late."

"Oh, really! I haven't seen the clock in hours. It's just I had a question…about Nami-chan."

He listened to his phone, hearing the silence until a small rustling was heard. Sheets or a pillow, maybe. "What is it?"

"Has she talked to you about why she cried today or what's going on with her life?"

"Not really, I'm still getting to know her." She finished, but remembered she did not finish one of his other questions. "No, she did not say anything."

"I just feel so terrible! I hope she doesn't think my music was bad or anything."

He could hear a small scoff from Haruhi. "Sir, I don't think that's the problem. Like you said earlier, it might have triggered something deeper. You could ask her when you see her tomorrow."

She always had the right ideas. "Thank you, Haruhi-san. What would I do without you?"

"You probably pester someone else with your questions."

He gave a small pout and began to whine through the phone. "You are always so mean to me!"

Somehow, from somewhere, he could have vision it, but he swore he heard a chuckle from the other line with a relieved sigh.

"Good night, Tamaki-san."

"Night, Haruhi-chan."

He placed his phone off, staring at it for a moment. If he could always have a thought or question, he would hope Haruhi would always be there to comment. Of course, Kyouya would certainly have the answer, most likely, but to hear the brunette's slight androgynous voice carry within the phone; he would be grateful.

--

Nami sat in her seat, looking into her tea. She had been in her session for only five minutes and she could not look at Tamaki. She crossed her legs, noticing the sounds of Tamaki reaching for things on the table, but she would not budge.

"Was my playing that terrible?" Nami finally felt her head rise, staring intently at the blonde junior.

"Uh, it's not that."

Tamaki took his own tea, making a deal of breathing for relief to her response. She smiled, sensing his attempt to make her feel comfortable and positive. She mentally thanked him for it.

"Why did you cry like that?" Nami looked up into his deep blue eyes, then carried her gaze to the nearest window.

She took a small breath, feeling he would not budge from the question. She had to be honest.

"You might appear happy, but you're not. You're really sad."

He kept his smile on his face, but it altered, just a little. He was the one to point things out for people. He was the one to display the loneliness in the twins, the determination and frustration in Kyouya with his work, and the self- identity problem of Hunny. Now she was the identifier, and simply, he was not use to it. Tamaki took his hand and rubbed his hair back, think of what to say.

"Why do you say that?"

"Oh, seriously, Sempai, the music gave it away." She sipped her tea, wishing there was less honey. "It was beautiful, but the name and the notes…."

"It is only music, Nami-chan." He tried to appease her, pushing back her thoughts, but she was not giving up.

"Tell me about your life. Who are your mother and father?"

Tamaki opened his mouth, shutting it as quickly. He gave a short laugh, trying to hide his uncomfortable feeling, but she could see it. She felt it herself.

Nami reached out to him with her hand, gazing for his attention for a moment.

"My mom is always on the road, and I don't know who my father was." She cringed and closed her eyes, cursing for the informality of her emotions, but continued. "Swimming is my life because I want to get away from being sad, lonely, and depressed. Your music is the same."

Tamaki looked at her, wondering if he should stop her or just let her continue. He gripped her hand, feeling a connection growing instantly.

"Did your mother marry your father?"

"No. You can say I'm a bastard child." She hated that word, but she heard it at every school she went.

"Me, too." He gripped her hand, smiling for his and her sake. "That's why I'm happy. Because I have friends and just people who care for me and not how I was created."

She smiled, wiping any tear that was on her cheek. It was funny, she thought. The guy yesterday was an idiot, a jester, and naïve blonde. But in the end, he was a really good guy. He has been through a lot, but he kept going. Of course he was sad, and sometimes his music presented it, but he knew he had people who cared.

Nami sat back, placing the tea back on the table. "No wonder you were last. I never cried like that."

"You really did not cry. It was like a tough chick shed of tears." His smile grew, letting go of his hand.

"Heh, let's just say the last time I cried was when some kid kicked dirt in my face." Somehow, Tamaki could not identify the time link to the comment. He did not know if it meant she cried when she was younger or just the other day. Hey, kids are mean nowadays.

--

After their session, the two walked over to the host members; it seemed that the two kept taking long after all the other girls were gone. Who would have known that the raven hair girl could enjoy the ranting of a delusional idiot?

"How was the session, Nami-chan?" asked Haruhi placing silverwares away.

"It was good. I actually did not expect to have fun with Blondie here." Tamaki smiled widely, grabbing onto Nami's arm, only to be pushed off by the swimmer.

Hunny hopped over to the tall girl, hugging tightly to his Usa-chan. "Nami-chan, so are you afraid of men still!"

" We shall see!" With that, Tamaki pulled Nami close to him, brushing his hand unto her face. Nami froze watching his blue eyes pierce her emerald. He lowered his face to her, amazing everyone, but as soon as the prince swooped her up, she forcefully punched him in the arm.

"Ouch! Nami-chan." He pulled her name in a whining tone; touching the part of his arm where he could feel a bruise forming.

Nami looked at him with indifferent eyes, shrugging her arms to his tone. "Hey, you were getting too friendly."

He pouted softly, making the rest of the host members either chuckle or smirk to his pain. Well, he should know that not every girl goes gaga over his affection.

Still, Nami looked at him, finding him utterly comical for continuing his pout. He really was a nice guy, so she should at least thank him for his treatment. She turned to him, kissing his cheek then pulling away instantly.

"I guess the fear is gone." Everyone just stared at her, especially Tamaki and Haruhi.

"What?" She shrugged but they just either continued to stare at her or shook their head. Hell, she hit him with a bag! She had to make it up somehow!

TBC

A/N: Yay, the session is over! But what will Nami do? This is only the beginning.

Thank you very much for the reviews and reading! I am so thrilled to read the comments, so please continue reading and continue to review.


	9. Aquatic Attraction

A/N: Yo! I just want to say thanks for the reviews and continue reading...You guys are really awesome readers!!

Chapter 9

Aquatic Attraction

" Pool party?"

The host members carefully looked at the invitations –a crisp, light blue card made with satin, wrapped with a dark blue bow. The invitation looked too formal for such an event.

"What's the occasion?" asked Haruhi.

"Well, I just wanted to treat you guys for working so hard with me for the past two weeks." Nami wanted to show her gratitude a week before but did not know how to carry the welcome out. Her brain took a turn for a pool party—figures.

Kyouya examined the invitations, ready to ask the question before anyone else did.

"How else is invited?" This was a very important question due to the identity of Haruhi. The idea of other schoolmates finding the fair brunette in a swimsuit would actually pop the idea of their reality and pop the idea of further business.

She waved her hand for physical action, realizing the effect of more people." You guys are the only one invited."

From then on, their actions were approval of smiles and nods to the invitation.

--

The twins sat, observing the numerous one pieces and bikinis rallied within their mother's workroom. Usually they would ask to enter her room, but she chimed to think that their boys were becoming men. Their mother would smile happily, commenting wickedly of their "man urges", and approve them or their "crushes" to partake in her private collection. Well, a surprise would not be made if they already knew of it, so they decided to take it apon themselves to find the swimsuit for the girls.

"Who do you want to do first?" Hikaru felt his cheeks somewhat redden, seeing the various swimsuits that screamed Haruhi. Well, they displayed their mother's collection to Haruhi before, so the assumption of her type of swimsuit was known—cute, bright, simple.

"Haruhi would be easier to do, Kaoru; Let's get her out the way."

It was already an easy task for them, but seeing so many different suits did not help their search. They also had to remember how her body appeared—slender, small, and small breasted. Hikaru tried to play like he was not visioning Haruhi in the semi-bare, but he has…. many times…. and this moment was not helping.

"Hikaru, how about this one." Hikaru instantly turned to his brother, hoping for once Kaoru could not see what was in his mind. He shifted his eyes to the product, feeling a smirk appear on his face. It was lovely, actually too cute to even see it on Haruhi. The swimsuit suited the future owner, hopefully capturing what beauty Hikaru knew she carried…. Of course it would, he thought, it was his Haruhi.

Once they placed the swimsuit in Hikaru's hand, the older brother turned to Kaoru, smiling mischievously.

"So, how about we find Naaaami-chan something to wear?" Kaoru darted his eyes to his brother, hearing the heckling of chuckles from him. He was not going to react to it; he was better than that. Besides, he'll get him back once Hikaru presented the gift to Haruhi.

"What do you think Nami would like?" asked Kaoru, sweeping his gaze around the room.

They both knew she was tall, lean, but her chest area was a mystery. There were times both bothers examined her body, which they could not help (they were teenage boy, for Buddha's sake), but since she wore the same boy's uniform jacket, it was difficult. Sometimes, in different angles and positions they saw her, she would appear to have a curvy top. But once in a while, she would appear to be just as flat or small as Haruhi. Why was she not constant with things?

"Bro, I have the perfect thing for her." Hikaru ran to the other side of the room, remembering a swimsuit he saw one day. He glanced over the corner until seeing the slight same color he predicted for the swimsuit to still have. Yep, it was right there.

Once the older brother was done, he came back to Kaoru, almost waving the darn swimsuit in his hand. Kaoru widened his eyes, feeling scarlet burn lightly on his face. He was not going to lie; the swimsuit would fit Nami because of the color, but the shape and cut was actually daring. To even see Nami in this would probably create many boys to stare, which he did not want…for her sake, anyways.

"I don't know about it."

"Hey, if she doesn't like it, she doesn't have to wear it. I mean, really, she's a swimmer, she has other swimsuits." In Hikaru's voice, Kaoru felt like this was more of a joke than a comfort for him. The younger brother glared at Hikaru, but all Hikaru delivered was a smile. With one swift grab, Kaoru took the item from his brother's hand and just prayed over it, hoping Nami would not be too mad.

--

If a cake was not done, licking the batter was just as good in Hunny's mind. He watched closely as one of the chefs stirred the ingredients into the large bowl, adding honey, sugar, and cream cheese. One of the best comments Nami said was that she adored cheesecake. Any type cake was good for him, but this one was special. It would have her name all over it, but he insisted to taste it before it was done. Just to make sure it was good, he thought.

"Mitsukuni…"

Hunny turned his head to see his cousin, making his way to his side in the kitchen. Hunny smiled, knowing Mori was there to ride with him to Nami's home. They both talked to one another about the gift idea, making sure not to bring the same. Still, each gift was actually quite different since Hunny wanted to bring the swimmer her favorite type of cake and Mori brought something within a small box.

"Takashi, you're too early!" Hunny smiled, teasing his cousin when he pointed to the cake.

"I know…. I just wanted to make sure you were prepared."

Hunny quickly knew that when Mori meant by 'prepared', he meant by organizing all of his toys and things into a completely organized large bag. The blonde senior, known for cuteness, wanted to bring variety of fun items with him to events like these. Hunny simply continued his smile, looking at the chef finally pouring the mixture into several cake pans, leaving the somewhat empty bowl for him. It was all his now.

Hunny took a finger to the concoction, licking the traces of batter. His mouth could taste the sweetness and exotic flavor, creating an enjoyable sound to seep through the blonde boy's mouth. To him, this was the best gift anyone could ever have.

"Don't eat too much….You never know what Nami-chan might have for us." His tone was half-pleading, half-expecting to lick the rest of the material from the bowl.

"I won't, but Nami-chan is going to love it!" Hunny glanced twoard Mori's hand, seeing the visual of blue and white gift wrapping to a box the size of his hand. "I see you got what you wanted."

Mori just shuffled his eyes, delivering a simple "Hmph" as his reply.

Hunny hopped off the chair he was sitting in, motioning for the other boy to follow him to another room.

"I think we should get my things together. By that time, the cake will be ready, and we can go see Nami-chan, Haru-chan, and the others!" The excitement was building within the shorter boy as he skipped within his steps. Somehow he knew that today would be a good day.

--

"What should I wear, Kyouya?"

Kyouya looked away from his notebook, surveying the several swim trunks the president held up in his hand. Somehow, Kyouya made his way to Tamaki's mansion early. Oh, yeah, the fool called him in plea, needing his fellow classmate's help in retrieving the perfect trunks. Of course, Kyouya really had no desire to retrieve himself from his slumber, but Tamaki insisted needing his vital help to impress Haruhi. If he only knew.

"The blue one; it'll match your eyes, I suppose." He looked over his notes, listening to the giddy laughter from Tamaki.

"Thank you, Kyouya! I really can't believe that Sunday came so quickly."

"Sir, she gave us the invitations two days ago; of course it seems quickly."

He looked over to the humming blonde, walking to the bathroom to change. He did not even hear a word that he said. Kyouya turned back to his work, collecting more information and calculations to the sums of the recent clients factors. They increased, immensely. Since the whole Nami incident, many girls came to watch if Nami would crumple, and then found adulation with the products of the Host Club. To think the gifts given to the Host Club was done by the use of a girl's apprehension. Speaking of gifts….

"Tamaki, did you get anything Nami-chan for her party?"

The blonde stuck his head out, staring with confusion at the idea of a gift.

"You didn't, did you?"

"N-no, it's not that…well, I seriously don't know what I should bring." A lie, of course, but the raven hair boy ignored his answer.

Kyouya gave a small chuckle, placing his notebook down. "I decided to bring a present for the two of us." Tamaki regained his smirk, feeling somewhat guiltless from the sudden forgetfulness. Of course, Kyouya did not buy it, his family was also known to carry various exotic flower arrangements when people died in their hospitals. How useful.

--

Haruhi sat, listening to the music playing in Nami's large stereo. It wasn't something she actually expected to hear—drums beating through the woofers, electric guitar strumming wildly, and singing going from high pitch to low in seconds. She tapped her foot to the beat, deconstructing the lyrics that lay in the air. Somehow she felt Nami would be in the rock scene, if any genre.

"Nami, are you almost done!"

"What!"

Haruhi sighed, walking to the stereo to turn the volume down.

"I said are you ready?" Haruhi turned to see Nami, pulling down on the baby blue halter-top sundress. The swimmer seemed to be uncomfortable with the length, trying in many ways to relinquish the shortness. She swore the last time she wore it, the hem made it down to below her knees, not to her mid thigh.

"You look nice!"

"Thanks, and so will you!" She pointed into the bathroom, giving evidence to the idea that something was awaiting her. She sighed, feeling a little pressured. Somehow she got the idea that she was going to be just as girly or even more.

Haruhi made her way to the bathroom, cracking the door, just in case. Nami simply examined herself in the mirror. The way the sundress fit her curves made her second guess the idea of wearing the item. Too weird to even think of her girly.

"Do I have to wear this?"

"Haruhi, if I have to wear this, so do you."

Haruhi poked her head out the door, arching her eyebrow. "Who made you wear this?"

Nami just turned to her friend, placing her hand firmly on her waist.

"My maids…evil creatures sometimes." She really was going to kill her maids. She did not give them permission to take half of her clothes out her closet. Nevertheless, she would survive. "Besides, since I can't wear a swimsuit yet, I might as well wear this."

She really could not believe that the twins ordered both girls not wear swimsuits. The notion almost started an argument until they explained a " surprise gift" would be given; that made a little more sense then. Besides, it gave her chance to try something new, hopefully not so ordinary.

"Nami-chan, your guests are here." The maid opened the door, looking intently at her young mistress with a smile.

"All right, we'll be done." Nami walked over to a pair of black sandals, placed them on, and peered into the bathroom.

"Oh, Haruhi, you look really nice!"

"You think so?"

"Yep; Hikaru and Souh-sempai would love it." Those two names altered Haruhi's fine skin color to a scarlet red. She stared at the taller girl who just impishly smiled. She never made any implication of her affection for the two boys, but Nami somehow saw through her. Thinking about it, maybe the outfit was not just for her then.

In minutes, the two girls walked to the staircase, glancing down to the images of the gentlemen surrounded by maids. Oh, how foolish Nami forgot. Once you place a man in a "no man" world of women, they start to forget anything else…. like their jobs.

"Nami-chan!"

The swimmer waved, guiding Haruhi to her side for the boys to see. The brunette, still covered in a light complexion of a scarlet glow, tugged on the pink sundress, which made it to her knees. Feeling the eyes on both of them, both girls felt out of their element for a moment, but reached the end of the stairs in peace.

"Nami-chan, Haru-chan, you look so cute!" Hunny hopped to their sides as Nami placed a hand on top of the blonde's boy head.

"Yeah, who would have known swimmers could dress," joked Kaoru. Yeah, who would have known a swimmer could punch jokesters in the back of the head as well.

Tamaki and Hikaru stood in front of Haruhi, the brunette looking at their faces redden at the sight of her. Hunny said it when he called her cute, but to them, it was more than that. Her slender form blending well with the material, creating a sense that she was more than cute—she was beautiful.

"Haruhi-chan…you are so cute! A+!" He waved a thumb up into the air, expressing the excitement he felt in this image of her. Too bad everyone just stared, pretending the moment never happened.

The older twin gaped at her, but Haruhi's own eyes brushed against his one she felt his gaze. He coughed, trying to find the words, but his eyes said enough—she smiled generously, feeling the crimson stay on her face.

"You look nice"

Haruhi widened her smile, tingling at the notion of his rare compliments. Tamaki looked at the two, feeling ignored and dismissed by his own compliment. He was actually being more mature than usual.

"Nami-chan, thank you for the invite." The moment was drawn out, and Kyouya spoke just to pull everyone back to reality…why they were there.

Nami nodded her head, letting her hand pull on a strand of her hair. "Yeah, well, why don't I show you to the pool?"

--

They looked at the vast pool, mirroring the sunlight and clouds in the sky. It ran about as long as the regular 50 meters of an Olympic pool. At one end, which was the shallow, several tables held various amount of fruits, sandwiches, and other items. Chairs, maids, and large umbrellas accompanied the table as well. The host members, minus Haruhi, relaxed beside the food, waiting patiently for the girls to be presented with their presents.

Hunny took his board, hopped into the freezing water. Since there would be more time, he should not waste this moment. He practiced, striking lowly with his feet. The maids, alluring on each side of the pool, watching affectionately at the blonde boy and the tall senior taking seat at the end of the pool—just in case.

Tamaki placed his sunglasses on, reclining in a chair within the sun. "I wonder what Haruhi-chan will be wearing? The sundress was too cute."

The twins looked at one another, feeling their anticipation grow as well. "You'll see my lord."

Kyouya looked behind the president, sensing the newcomers. Oh boy, here come more distractions. "Well, there's you chance."

The boys watched both girls walk side-by-side, holding a simple conversation. Haruhi brushed her arm with a hand, slightly shielding the lilac halter-top tankini. Nami brushed the nape of her neck nervously, sensing eyes on her green tube top bikini. Both girls laced with a radiance of a summer's dream when it was only early November.

Tamaki jumped up towards the brunette, covering his mouth from spoiling the moment. His eyes could not tear away from her revealed belly button. So teasing, so alluring. So cute!

Tamaki opened his eyes, but Haruhi only placed her own hand over it. "If you say a word about this outfit, I will ignore you for the rest of the day."

Once her hand was pulled away, the blonde made his way to the nearest corner for a moment of brood. All he wanted to say that she was cute.

Kaoru came over to Nami, feeling that he should never doubt his brother again. The choice was an excellent one.

"Nami, you look great!" His voice was sincere, but Nami narrowed her eyes at him.

"Really…. I suppose you think I enjoy being more than half naked like this!" He bit his lip, feeling a lecture coming on.

Mori pulled up from the pool, observing the way her swimsuit sat on her—her fit body curved nicely within the emerald bikini.

He made his way to the barking Nami. "You look nice, Nami…."

The raven hair girl stopped her words, feeling the inside of her stomach lifted into her mouth.

"Y-you think so, Mori-sempai?" He nodded; she blushed; Kaoru watched. What was going on, the ginger hair boy thought.

"Nami-chan, Haru-chan, let's play in the water!" Haruhi looked over to the swimmer, but she was already diving in.

Oh, the water was her element, she thought. She lost herself in the water, but decided to surface. Swimming closer to Hunny, the blonde splashed excitedly. Sometimes she wondered if he was really the age he said to be.

Haruhi examined the water, wondering should she just walk in or dive as well. Of course her entrance would not have been as showy as Nami. She would not dare to make herself look like a fool.

"Haruhi, are you going in or not?" asked Hikaru from behind.

He was so close, peering over her shoulder at the scene of Nami pulling Hunny in the water. The brunette looked up at the older brother, wondering why he behind her. Too bad (or not) her thoughts were answered when Hikaru picked her up. She let out a short gasp, watching the boy walk over to deeper end of the pool.

"Hikaru, put me down!" Bad words to say at that moment.

Hikaru smiled, holding her for a moment when he stopped at the middle of the length of the pool. Obeying her words, she threw the girl into the pool, watching her flutter her arms. She surfaced, wearing a caveat expression on her face. She had to know it was coming, he thought.

"Hikaru, what did you do to Haruhi-chan!" The blonde prince, making his way to Hikaru, was cut short when Kaoru decided to push him in as well.

The older Hitachiin walked over to his twin, grasping his arms in tenderness.

"Oh, Kaoru, you are always so helpful."

"Anything for you, dear brother."

Everyone watched the touching moment but ended once Mori appeared behind them, blank as usual in his appearance. The twins' eyes encountered the senior's eyes, but all Mori conveyed was the small glint of mischief. Before they could question him, he pushed the twins into the water, then nobly dove into the water himself. Now they were all in the water…well except the vice president.

"Sempai, are you coming in?" asked Haruhi pressing Tamaki away from her.

"No, I will just sit and watch…I will join in once I am done with these notes." He carefully thought about his words, calculating what might be said from them. "And if you try to push me in, I'll make you regret your actions."

The small smile he expressed, chilling in its form, produced shivers down the groups' back. Well, they must abide by his wishes, they all thought.

Kaoru glanced along the pool, seeing Nami and Mori take turns pushing Hunny in the water. The laughing shared between the raven hair girl and blonde senior created a sense of family bonding, which were a little irritating to him. He had to come up with something.

"Hey, how about we play chicken?" His idea worried people immediately, but he continued his explanation. "I mean just a friendly one; we all have to be respectful with pushing."

Nami narrowed her eyes slightly. "Like you know anything about being respectful."

This was all he needed. "Of course I can be, and I'll show you. Come on, Nami, we'll be partners."

Before she could reply, Hunny hopped into the conversation. " OoOoOo, Takashi is my partner!" The taller boy accepted with a nod, making the raven hair glowered for a slight second.

"Oh, Haruhi-chan—" His words were cut off once Hikaru dipped into the water, reappearing with Haruhi on his shoulder. She wavered her balance, wondering if the immediate motion of action was needed. She peered down only to see Hikaru's apologetic face peering up at her.

Tamaki pouted, finding himself the solo person. He crept up to the end of the pavement, sitting in defeat. Well, the next round he would be sure to have Haruhi on his team.

One by one, partners formed together, legs linking to arms when the lighter one was sitting on the shoulders. Haruhi blushed, Hunny smiled comfortably, Nami formed a nervous frown on her face. It was not that she disliked the idea of Kaoru as her partner; their heights were almost the same (Nami, a couple of inches shorter), so she towered the other participants in the water.

"Do we really have to play this?" She was trying to get out of this, looking down at the younger Hitachiin twin.

He scoffed at her, displaying a disapproving glance up to her. "You just got up there. Sit tight, okay?"

"Okay, let's start!" Kaoru took a quick dash to his brother, sensing Haruhi not taking attention to his actions.

--

The girls sat on the end of the pool, watching the boys' roughhouse against one another—mainly the twins against the president. The previous game ended quite badly and unexpectedly. When Nami took to battle Haruhi, she did not notice that Kaoru was slipping. Since her height was slightly similar to her, he overestimated Nami's distance to 'attack' Haruhi. Needless to say, once he bent forward a bit for, the two girls bumped their heads, causing both to lose their balance. Oh, well, at least Hunny was slightly happy to win.

"This has been pretty fun!" spoke Haruhi, feeling the sun on her legs.

"Yeah, other than the head butt, I could say this party is starting out great." She rubbed her arms, brushing her feet within the water.

"I'm surprised you let Kaoru pick you up like that!"

Nami scoffed, not caring how her comment was going to come out like. "That red head jerk! I swear he did that to tick me off!"

Really now? Who would have known through the couple of days of interaction, Nami would find someone in the Host club irritating?

"Don't be too hard on Kaoru, he's actually sweet." True, he was really nice to compliment her, but he was not like Mori.

Once the tall boy appeared in her mind, her vision wandered the scene, trying to find the boy. He was playing with Hunny; of course, he would be. So protective, so admiring, so gorgeous.

"Nami, you okay?" asked Haruhi.

"Everything is okay! I'm good!" The swimmer bit the bottom of her lip, wanting to change the focus. " So you enjoy being on Hikaru's shoulders?"

The notion was said so lightly, but the way Haruhi took it quite embarrassingly. The old her would think nothing of it. Her straightforward thoughts kept her clearly ignorant of any innuendos. She knew better now.

"—Or maybe you prefer if Tamaki was your partner—who do you like more anyways?"

Haruhi knew the answer, she really did, but why did she have to explain her feelings? So what if Nami was trying to be a friend. So what that she was not really interested in anyone like her…though now that she thought about it, she always did look at Mori-senpai…. a lot…. more than needed.

"You like Mori-senpai." The fact was gliding in the air, waving in front of Nami to cause her to freeze. Stay calm, she thought, stay calm.

Did stay calm mean to push Haruhi into the waters because the incident was just done. It was not that she aimed to take her friend out; Nami was just nervous. Nervous enough to cease the discussion of a crush.

Nami observed her brunette friend coughing before gawking at her like as if her trust was gone.

"Haruhi, I am so sorry." A lie, Haruhi thought. "I don't know what came over me."

Haruhi turned from the girl in the pool, feeling a little mischievous herself. She began to swim away, knowing that the taller girl was questioning her actions.

"Hey, Mori-sempai, I have something to tell you."

Once the words were out, a splash was heard from behind Haruhi. " Haruhi!"

Nami swam toward the brunette, expressing a face with sheer panic. She made it to Haruhi's side, hugging the laughing brunette until Nami dunked her within the water. No secrets would be slipped today.

--

Once the night came, tiredness became appropriate. Nami guided the Host Club members to the outside of her mansion, glimpsing at the various black limos in the driveway.

"This was so much fun, Nami-chan," spoke Tamaki grabbing the young girl's hands into a shake.

She simply scoffed at his weirdness, but appeared to reply with a grin. "Well, if you guys ever want to swim with me, you are more than welcomed."

"I bet Hunny would reply to your offer, but it seems…." The group viewed to the sleeping senior, riding along his cousin's back, caressing the bunny he remembered to bring.

"Thank you, guys, for the gifts. You really did not have to bring anything." She honestly did not even expect them—somehow she assumed that these boys were more conceited and self-centered to bring even a "Thank You" card. Guys were a surprising sex.

Before the group could walk to their limos, Kyouya motioned his hand for them to stop, drawing out his notebook.

"As you are aware, you are finished with your sessions." He flickered his eyes to the tomboy then back to his books, recollecting his motion of business. "What my question is if you would like to continue to be a client. And if so, with who?"

Nami really did not think of the idea. Once her sessions was over, she thought it was back to just going to school and swimming at home. Of course she was happy with that, but the idea of going to the Host Club several days a week would help with strengthening her friendship with the upperclassmen…such as Mori.

"I would like to continue." Her gaze brushed against the eyes of the senior. "And I would like Mori-sempai to be my host."

Everyone glanced over to the silent boy, wondering his thought, but all he did was nod at the notion. Tamaki actually felt disappointed by the choice since he thought the swimmer would pick him. Seriously, did she not kiss his cheek the other day? Kaoru gazed back and forth at Nami and Mori, finding no words to describe the disappointment…ultimately, it was only a SLIGHT disappointment.

Haruhi looked over to the raven hair girl, slightly brushing her hand over her arm. "Well, I guess we will see you in the morning."

With that everyone said their goodbyes and left for the limos…except her host. Mori stood besides her, readjusting the boy on his back.

"Mori-sempai, shouldn't you be going?" He looked at her, placing Hunny one side of his back as he pulled out the small box from his pocket.

She looked at it; intently observing the way the box was wrapped. He picked the same colors of her invitations, which somehow brightened her mood. She carefully opened the present, glancing at a small necklace. The chain made of silver, connected to a small silver circle with the outlining of a dove. The dove carried the idea of hope and creation, something that promoted a positive union.

Nami smiled, feeling her cheek somewhat reddened. "Birds, huh?"

He nodded, replying only with, "Birds."

"Thank you." She carefully brushed her hand to him arm, letting her fingers rest for appreciation. "Tell Hunny-chan I loved the cheesecake."

He smirked, happy that she remembered the gift his cousin gave. He slightly bowed his head, walking to his limo as Nami stood there watching. They were all her friends, but maybe, one would be more than that. She hoped…. with the help of a dove.

TBC

A/N: Dear Looooooord, what a long chapter. I really could not find anywhere to stop, so I just kept going. I wanted the chapter to promote Nami trying to be girly, especially since Mori was around…still her evil maids took her clothes because the boys came…I thought that was funny… (Shrugs) It might be just me

More next chapter!!


	10. School Yard Confessions

A/N: I'm looking through some of my notes from one of my friends who went to Japan for school for a year

A/N: I'm looking through some of my notes from one of my friends who went to Japan for school for a year. I'm hoping to tie in events around the same time they should be presented, so forgive me if I am not accurate.

Also, this fic might be a little AU…. but not a lot.

On with the fic!

Chapter 10

School Yard Confessions

He did not understand. Tamaki engulfed his desk, spreading his arms and face to the wooden surface. Ever since the pool party, his mind has been placed on the events of Haruhi ignoring his advances. Surely he was not wrong with thinking the brunette felt something. He was used to the imageries of his fantasies, but her glances were real. The way she would brush against him when he would compliment her was real. The way her cheeks redden when she caught his gaze was real. Of course, his fantasies were becoming reality, weren't they?

"Souh-san?"

Tamaki raised his head, feeling the simple rush of his alertness. Once his vision was on the classroom, he could tell various classmates were staring at him. What was going on, he thought.

"Uh—what was the question?"

Kyouya glanced to him, feeling the rush of his fellow Host Club member's stupidity pouring out. He never paid attention to any real issue.

"Well, we were discussing what activities we should do for the school festival."

Tamaki blinked for a moment, letting the words echo in his head. He could not believe it was already time for the school festival. Of course, Kyouya talked about it mainly for the Host Club and the event they would do, but he really did not imagine the time of it was so soon. He really needed to start paying attention in reality.

Nevertheless, Tamaki jumped, composing himself in his charming pose." I propose—" a quick thought sprung an idea. "A fortune telling room, preferably for young lovers. It would consist of palm reading, crystal ball reading, and maybe a small shrine for prayer!"

Kyouya stared at him, reviewing the idea before the class could vote on it. Surely, he just thought of the idea, but it had potential. These were the time for love, expressing one's feeling, and confession. What better way than to market off the emotion. Way to go, Tamaki.

"I think it is an excellent idea." Kyouya smiled, seeing his fellow classmates nod and comment approvingly.

Tamaki stood in his seat, leaning his left leg on the desk. "We must help those in need of guidance. To let their souls drift separately is an abomination. We must act on—"

"Tamaki, that's enough. Everyone is agreeing to your suggestion," spoke Kyouya adjusting his glasses.

Tamaki jumped down from his desk, feeling not ashamed but determined. Somehow he will use this event to restore his relationship with Haruhi. He was not desperate, no, of course not. He just wanted to see if it was a dream or reality when she looked really happy to see him. He had to make sure.

--

"We're doing what!"

The brunette glanced over at her Host Club members, not finding anyone being a little expressive as she was with the decision. Usually Haruhi is the calm one, the more logical one within the group of idiots. She was always questioning their ideas and their logic of winning over girls, but this idea topped all the ones before.

"Wait, wait, wait…let me get this straight, we're doing a "commoner's restaurant"?" Somehow when she spoke the question, she hoped the boys would see how brainless the idea was. Somehow she expected to see the various flaws within making a stereotypical image of the "commoners' food". Somehow she was hoping that they would not make a mockery of her life. Nope, they seem not to get it.

"We already voted on the idea, Haruhi," spoke Hikaru, letting his arm rest on her shoulder.

"Really? I did not vote!"

"Oh…. we swore we asked you." Somehow she would remember being asked such an idea.

The brunette sighed, brushing her hair away from her face to rub her temple. Somehow she knew she was going to be in charged of this activity.

"Haruhi, since you are very frequent with the type of food, we were wondering if you would not mind helping in coordinating the menu and such." The blonde president smiled genuinely, sapphire eyes brushing her chestnut eyes. She could not help but to erase the notion of this idea as awful.

She thinned her lips, focusing on certain sapphire eyes before answering.

"I guess it will be okay." The members cheered, patting on the girl's shoulder or back.

Tamaki smiled, feeling reality is winning over fantasy. "Now, Kyouya, we need to have this place looking like an authentic commoner's restaurant."

"I'm on it." The vice president walked away, taking out his cell phone to make some phone calls.

Hunny hopped happily off of Mori's back, walking over to Haruhi and the twins. "I hope to taste more of your yummy food, Haru-chan."

"Well, I might not have an idea of what to cook, but I'll have the menu done within a couple of days." She smiled, bending to the smiling blonde.

"Yeah, that's good and all, but what are we going to do about our class's event?" Haruhi turned to Kaoru, who was the voice of reason at the moment. She recalled last week's meeting of wanting to do a restaurant themselves, separating each side of the room so each sex with respectable flirty waiters or waitress; so simple yet so alluring.

"Oh, yeah…Nami would hate it if we left her to fend for herself." Haruhi recalled Nami's pleading bowing and ranting that the three would be waiters. In all honesty, Nami just wanted to help with signs and decorating, but somehow the other girls persuaded the class that Nami should show off her fear was no more. Poor Nami, she'll never be left alone.

Hunny looked between the worried faces of the first year trio, wondering what the problem was. " Just take turns here and with your class's event. That's what Takashi and I are doing."

They looked at the shortest boy, blinking their eyes for the short amazement. All he did was just smile and tug on his bunny. How in the world did this blonde midget get so smart?

--

"Haruhi, I like your room. So cozy!"

Nami lay on the floor, resting her arms under her head. Her eyes swept across the room; identifying the various little things she never came across in her own home—a portable AC contraption, large floor pillows, lava lamps; the list goes on. Inwardly, the taller girl was wondering where Haruhi lived ever since she found out she was a "special student". Places like these make you treasure what you have, she thought. Still, she was very amused by her environment, nonetheless.

"What do you think about hagi and nikujaga?" Haruhi looked over her shoulder, showing the recipe within her hand to her friend.

"I think whatever you choose will be great!"

"Yeah, I guess…. I shouldn't really care, but they'll mess it up… especially Tamaki-san."

Nami rolled to her side, glancing at the brunette chuckle to her. Haruhi was taking an almost dedicated role to the Host's event. Of course, she is an active member, but Haruhi said it herself that she did not think it was a good event to do. Was it Nami or was Haruhi doing a lot for something she did not want to do?

"Are you really just doing this for your club…. or are you trying to impress Tamaki-senpai…. or even Hikaru?" She smiled, hoping for the best. "By the way, which one are you excited to serve with?"

The brunette turned to the raven hair girl, sitting up to the implication of her question. She remembered Nami asking a similar question at her pool party, but she really could not say it—it was embarrassing, wanting to be with someone like those two. Also, if she presented what she felt, wouldn't that mean the next step is to confess to them? She was not ready for it.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Nami."

"Oh, yes you do. You like both Hikaru and Tamaki-senpai." Nami crawled to the brunette, piercing Haruhi with her stare. She was determined to help her friend. Little by little. Nami saw her feelings, so she just needed a little push.

"Nami…"

"It would not be fair if you keep going along with both of them and they both deepen their affections for you." She looked to see if Haruhi was listening—the brunette turned away but stayed on the floor. "You don't want to hurt one when the time comes. You need to either confess to one or reject one."

Haruhi turned to her, fighting back the slight anger and upset feeling. "What about you?"

Nami blinked her eyes, but Haruhi kept going. "You like Mori-senpai, but you haven't said a word."

"That's different; nobody except myself will get hurt." She bit her lips, continuing to the idea. "This is my first crush, you know. I have to make sure if this is worth it!"

They both turned from one another, feeling almost angry to be talking about something so precious. The feeling of belonging to someone was never their wants. The two girls never felt for anyone in an intimate way until now. Different boys, the same frustration. They were ordinary girls, but their personalities were not in the norm of girls they knew.

"Look, I care about you, Haruhi…. I would like to say you're one of my truest friends. I just don't want people to get hurt." She huffed with a slouch, rubbing her hair. " Someone's gonna get hurt; and you're gonna hurt with them."

She knew that. She knew that one day, down the line, she would have to choose one boy over the other. But once the choice is done, she would feel guilt to making any choice that would cause rejection. Something so simple can cut through deep.

Haruhi sighed, being the one to lie on the floor now. "He's going to get hurt…. a lot."

Nami did not know if she was talking to her but she went with the reply. "Yeah, but the Haruhi they know is honest…not selfish."

Haruhi stared up to the ceiling, feeling the pieces of recipes on the floor. Why did people think of her as one thing when she could be any type of person? To draw a person with only one crayon does not create the masterpiece. She was human with human feelings. She was with depth, with strengths and weaknesses She wanted to be selfish sometimes, so be it.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Nami looked over to the other girl, feeling the hurtful, angry tone in her voice. Maybe she needed time, but time passes by so quickly. She had to hurry.

--

"Come right up! Check if your love is worthy!"

The halls were filled with students, peeking at the various signs and decoration for the different classes. The students walked along the hall, looking and wandering what was more appealing. The participation was countless and lively. Except one classroom took the cake.

Tamaki yelled, wearing a blue cape with a large, ridiculous conjurer hat.

"Come see if your love is just around the corner!" He smiled seeing many of the students observe him through his yelling.

He opened the flap, welcoming various groups of people. He especially loved seeing the couples walking in—the girl holding tightly to her boyfriend's arm, timid couples slightly holding hands, the daring boy placing his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. He really adored watching them. A simple look of true bliss.

"Tamaki-san." He turned to hear the person he wanted to see…with the twins and Nami.

Haruhi walked over to the blonde, matching the twins with their light blue button down shirt, black tie, and black pants. Nami stood between the twins, untying her half-apron that covered her blue button up shirt, short black skirt, and black mid heels. Tamaki stole a slight a glance of Nami, only to picture the brunette in her outfit. She would be incredibly cute, he thought.

"What do you have here, Tamaki-san?" He turned to Haruhi who glanced to the opening of the room.

"It's called 'The Lovers' Future'. It all about helping people find their true love or reading to see if the couples are compatible and have a long relationship." He stood confident with the product before the first years.

The twin glanced at one another, starting with a slight chuckle then began to give a hardy laughter.

"Milord, this would sound like your work!" they unison continuing their laughter.

Nami smiled, sensing a bit of emotion through their laughter. She knew better than that. Certain people were either jealous or anxious. She would play to their tricks.

"Really, senpai? Haruhi, we should give it a try?" stated Nami walking over to the brunette.

"I dunno…"

"Come on, it's not gonna hurt anybody. I mean I want to see if I will be getting in a relationship any time soon."

Kaoru clamped his mouth shout, which his brother followed suit right after. Nami pushed Haruhi into the room, sensing the boy fumbling with one another for the chance to be next in. The room was dim—not too dark, but enough to change the mood of the room. There were several sections of the room—a fortune telling booth with the essential of a crystal ball, a palm reading table with a woman twice their age sitting in front, and a mysterious big box with a large whole in the top. Nothing too peculiar but enough to intrigue a person.

"Wow, I feel like a mystery is going to happen or something." The first words of the swimmer; nothing charming nonetheless.

"Yes, these table all have types of spiritual sources that will help enable a person or couple for love." Tamaki explained about each table, pointing to each respectable spot.

"Haruhi, we should get our palms read!" spoke Nami.

"I dunno…." All day her thoughts had replayed the incident within her room, so she really did not want to be given any more problems. "Besides, we have to get to the Host's event soon."

"Nami, if you want to stay, Kaoru could stay with you while we go to the club," suggested Hikaru. Kaoru gave a short scoff, glancing to his brother. He did not know if his brother was trying to help him or push the two away for his selfish wanting of the brunette's attention.

"Haruhi-chan, it will only take a moment. She's a professional, too. If you are late, then I'll tell Kyouya to not count it against you." His words to Haruhi were smoothed with sound of sincerity and kindness. She swept her eyes to him, pierced by the way his smile hung on his face. Lately, she did not have time to see him with that smile, but when he saw it, she was grateful every time.

"I guess it couldn't hurt." She walked over to the table, seeing that it was open.

"Oh, take a seat, dear." The woman, dressed in a long purple dress smirked, motioning Haruhi to the seat. She obliged.

She placed her hand into the woman's hand. Their contact, long and warm. The woman, looking only to Haruhi's hand made a couple sounds—mumbling, tsk, moaning—while nodding into maybe her own identification. Each noise began to either scare them or just question the mind of the reader. She looked up finally, carefully composing herself while releasing the brunette's hand.

"You have two paths. One seems to be easy, all the information and knowledge is already given, but the other is filled with detours and unidentified miles of traveling. You are at a fork, so you need to choose." She stopped, collecting her thoughts to continue. "Still, to pick the easy road will leave you bored and wandering eyes; to go with the harder, you are left with only doubts that could hurt you."

Haruhi sat there, configuring the meaning with her message. At first no one understood, but Nami remembered their conversation. Haruhi was at a fork in the road. She had to choose soon. She could not stay there forever.

"Anyone else?"

Nami took another chair, taking a seat close to the palm reader. She took her hand, feeling the smoothness of the older woman's hand. The woman intently looked, frowning, tilting the hand, smirking, and then she looked up. At first her eyes glance was above Nami's head but then she caught her eyes.

"A bird is perched at your windowsill. His bright, alluring feathers are striking; He is known to be with others, but he takes his time looking, chirping for your attention. But you are too busy watering your plant." She continues to speech, pressing certain word for the girl to understand. "The bird perches looking and observing your care for the plant. Your plant supports your dedication, but should you not look at the bird? Shouldn't you gaze at the bird for a moment, acknowledging his attempt?"

Nami contemplated, wondering heavily at the scene. This woman was not frank, clearly placing all the meaning into an image. She hated it. Feeling like she had to look deeper than needed. She wanted answers, but it seems the woman would not discuss anything else.

Kaoru felt his heart, knowing his brother was gliding his eyes to him. The bird, with all his attempts and his separation from others—he wanted to be known. He wanted to have Nami's eyes on him such as Haruhi's were on his brother. So he was the bird.

"That'll be 2000 yen." She spoke so quickly, her hand perching out to them. At first, they were surprised by the notion. Clearly the atmosphere was serious and contemplative, but she still had a business to do.

Tamaki placed the money in her hand, looking at the two girls sitting. "This one is my treat."

"How about us, milord," unison the twins.

"You can buy your own."

Hikaru glanced over to the smiling woman then at a contemplative Haruhi. Somehow something triggered the brunette. She would not look at anyone—as if something really did saw something in her reading. That almost frightened him. He'll pass his palm reading.

"Haruhi." He spoke to her, slowly her head lifted to gaze at him. "We have to go."

She nodded, swiftly covering any type of discomfort or thought she had. She rose from her seat, looking at the older twin. He shifted in his stance, but his eyes kept on her, never wavering. Which road was he?

--

"Haru-chan, Nami-chan!"

Hunny hopped over to the group, but their eyes were set on the environment of the club. The scene was crafted into an authentic, simplistic restaurant—tatami style tables, authentic art, and wooden walls with several glimpses of miniature koi ponds. The atmosphere gave a very easy, laid-back scene. It was so relaxing, they thought.

Haruhi felt a pain of guilt for lashing out to the idea of not having the scene. It seemed that they really capture a type of wondrous, captivating scene. She was wrong to think that they would make fun of her. Why would they?

"Do you like it, Haruhi-chan?" It was not the way he said it but the way he said his words: hoping for approval, wanting to please her. She even felt the dedication to making her happy within the way his eyes pressed onto hers. The blonde smiled, hoping to take away her uneasiness from her, as always. She really did treasure his attempts.

Haruhi felt lips curl into something more than a smirk but less than a wholehearted smile—more like a pleased grin.

"It looks really nice, Tamaki-san." Her eyes brushed against his once more, then back at the scenery of classmate enjoying their food with company.

"Well, of course it is, Haru-chan. We all worked really hard!" chirped Hunny walking back to his table.

Once the boy retreated, the group could see the yakata robes the Host members were wearing. Each host- that is Mori, Hunny, and Kyouya- wore different colors—navy blue, orange, black—to create individuality but similarity.

Nami surveyed the area, glancing through the crowd to find a certain tree. Once her eyes saw the tall boy, she felt her heart race, almost escaping from her body. He was not doing anything special—placing chopsticks and bowls on an empty table. Still, one is most handsome or beautiful when one does not notice they are being watched.

"We might as well change. We got to catch up on the work," spoke Tamaki motioning the group to Kyouya.

One by one followed except Nami. She waved her hand, sensing the awkward departure they had to leave her. She knew they had to work, so there was no hard feeling. She was not that emotional.

"Do you need a table?"

She was not aware at all when Mori made his way to her—she, in fact, felt her spirit leave her slightly when he snuck up beside her. She looked up, scuffling her eyes to his to see a small motion of amusement.

"N-no, I just came in with Haruhi and the others." She rubbed her arm; he just looked down at her with his usual blank face. Nothing else. This went on for almost a minute. Something she liked and hated at the same time.

"Would you like me to serve you?" It was a simple question, needing only a simple answer. Just a simple one.

"Um…" She darted her eyes down to floor, noticing the tiles of the club has not changed. The way he asked—so all of a sudden— she knew it was an easy question. She just did not know what to say.

"Come on; I'll give you some tea." He took hold of her hand. His hand, long, structured, and soft. She did not know if she wanted to pull away or thank him for taking such a step.

--

Night drew, pulling everyone outside for the mighty launch of fireworks, bought by all the classes together. The bright lights, sounds of explosion, and the stars mixing within the night sky created a marvelous end to the day. A day of hard work from everyone to a night of confessions.

Haruhi walked through the crowd of groups and couples, trying to find her blonde president. He had slipped her note earlier, telling her he would like her company at the benches with the lake greeting the sky. She wanted to ask him why, but all he did was smile. Smiling his gorgeous sapphire eyes with his matching fine lips. If time could only stay still.

"Haruhi-chan!" His voice was quite near, drawing her to the destination. Once she encountered the place, she saw him sitting along the bench. He waved to her, she waved back.

She walked over to the bench; he motioned her to sit beside him, which she accepted. Both trying to understand things, their eyes were planted on the sky. Watching the fireworks was a relaxing feeling; they could see the glittery of explosives with the sparkling of stars mixing together. It also made time sit still for a minute, not pushing them to speak. Just to sit, enjoy each other's company, and watch the dancing objects within the heavens.

Tamaki wished the times could stay but they were fleeting. "Did you have a good day today?"

Haruhi glanced over to him, seeing his eyes have not moved away from the sky. "It was fun. It was actually pretty nice."

"That's good…" Silence bled through, seeping through when they wanted to communicate, especially Tamaki. He had so much to say. He just didn't know the way.

"Tamaki-san, why are we here?" she asked.

He was alarmed for a moment of her bluntness, so he shifted his discussion. "I wonder that, too. Why are we humans placed in a world like this, and what is our motivation through life…. Strange, indeed."

She could hear his contemplative tone within his words, but she knew deep down, he was scared to talk. Talk about something serious…. yet he was trying to drift away from it. She placed her hand on his, pushing him to talk to her.

Tamaki looked down, seeing her hand on top of his within his lap. Once his eyes darted toward her, he could see the concern in her gaze. Pushing him to tell her why she was hear but, at the same time, telling him she would wait as long as he needed.

"Haruhi-chan." He wrapped his arms around her, hoping to feel her heart beat close to his. He felt her, stiff for a moment in his embrace, but fell into ease once she gave in.

"Tamaki—" That was all she said when she felt his lips. He brushed his lips against her forehead, letting his lips touch the skin he always felt in his fantasies. Slowly, taking his time, he swept his lips against her lips, staggering a little of his breath with hers. He wanted to press onward, wanting to kiss her wholeheartedly. …but she pulled away.

It wasn't a big pull, but enough that her lips would not be given the kiss she felt was coming. His arms unwrapped her, she pushing back into the seat. She did not know what to say. All she could do was sit. Sit and see him, fidgeting, grasping the words to explain.

"Haruhi-chan…I'm sorry. I rushed it, I know." Dammit, it was not coming out right, he thought. "I just want to tell you, ever since I met you, I've always felt something for you." Okay, here goes. "I thought, at first, it was just for admiration for the way you lived and how independent you were. Soon as I began to know the real you, seeing your faults and your strengths; I was attracted." Yes, yes, keep coming. "I never knew what it was; I never fell in love before, but I do…. with you. I love the way you brush against me, the way your eyes catch mine, and the way you scold me. I love being around you, and I just love being able to just talk to you. I love you… very much."

Within his declaration, he found himself standing over her, having his hand out to her. She just looked up, observing his eyes to see the seriousness and the love. She knew about his admiration and his affection for her, but she never knew they were that bold, that heavy. She parted her mouth to speak, but her voice was betraying her.

Tamaki felt the hesitation, grasping her hand for her. " I want you to be happy. I want you to be surrounded by everything you ever wanted." Her licked his lips, feeling for once his mouth was becoming dry. "Please tell me what you want; what you need from me."

She glanced at him, hearing his voice was almost pleading. He was that road, huh, she thought. She could see the road within him that the woman told him—he would be the easy one, the one who would tell everything she needed, keeping her safe and in control.

Haruhi looked into her lap, lost of words for once. She realized that things were going to change. Nami was right. She could see that she needed to move now. To keep going like this, someone was going to get hurt a lot, and she knew it would be…him.

"I'm sorry, Tamaki, I can't." Her voice faltered, her eyes looking only at her hands. "I do care about you, very much, but I…. I really like someone else. I might hurt you if I was with you, and I don't ever want to do that to you. I treasure your friendship more than anyone else."

He looked down at her, searching for her eyes once more, but she would not give them to him. He poured out his feelings, the reason he wanted her there, but it was all in vain. He swallowed, feeling the rush of panic in his body, but he could not show it to her. He did not want to upset her with his sorrow.

"Friendship…. I can deal with that." He could feel his heart breaking, his soul crying. "I want to be your truest friend."

She looked up at him, his eyes filled with sorrow but she could see the seriousness with his reply. The brunette wanted to cry for him, wanted to take it all back at that moment, but she could not. She had to be true; he deserved honesty. She rose from her seat, wrapping her arms around him. She could do only this for him, pressing her heart to his—he accepted this. So fantasy won over reality again, he thought. Well, he could deal with this…fantasy was not controlled by time.

--

A/N: Gosh, that was really sad! I really almost cried for him. I felt so bad for Tamaki! Still, you never know what the future holds for love. Also, what about the whole MorixNamixKaoru thing? Plus now that Tamaki is now out of the picture, does that mean Hikaru and Haruhi are an item now? O0o0o0o0, the next chapter is going to actually going to solve these questions.

Also, sorry for taking so long with this, I just had to research on some parts of the story, and I wanted to make it this long…I might continue this type of length of the story.

Review please!!


	11. Snowflake Kisses

A/n: I'm looking forward to this chapter. The time of giving, and the time of cool presents. Christmas…Man, I shouldn't give anymore away…but it is good…. well good plot.

On with the fic!

Chapter 11

Snowflake kisses

He has always wanted to see snow in this town. The little cold flakes drifting within the sky, planting to the ground would be a wonderful sight. He would pick it up, creating the snowman he's seen in his head, and then push it down, pressing his body to make snow angels. He watched the visions of his dream on the television. He did not care if it was really cold or if he dirtied his clothes from nature's gift; he wanted to treasure the moment.

"Takashi, do think it'll snow this year?" Hunny asked, hoping his dream would come true.

The taller boy's eyes shifted to the presence of his cousin. He has asked him that since it turned December (which has been about 20 days), but it has not given any sight of snow at all.

"If you wish hard enough, it might." Oh, he would be doing that. Wishing until his desire was replied.

The boys arrived at their destination, seeing that the other host members and Nami were present. They all decided to find presents at the local commoners' shopping center. Well, it was Tamaki's idea once again, but none of them objected since the last time they were there, they found the place quite intriguing.

When the two cousins made their way to the group, Nami glanced to the giant then back to Haruhi, letting her heart flutter once more. She betrayed her feelings again at the school festival. She could not forgive herself for giving in to denying what she wanted to do, which was tell Mori how she felt. But she had good reasons. Quite frankly, she did not want to tell him after tripping down the school steps in front of him. She was such a clumsy fool—how could he possibly take her seriously after the incident.

"So, where should go? I'm itching to look around." Tamaki observed the busy of people walking in and out with gifts.

"Milord, how about we split up? If we're in a huge group, it might be difficult to shop." Shop? Humph. The twins, more or less, were not as thrilled to look for gifts here. Still, it gave them time to spend with the girls, so they would use this for their advantage.

"Yes, but let's do it by fortune to make it fair," he replied. He wrote everyone's name on a pad of paper, given by Kyouya, and tore the paper in pieces. He carefully, shook them in his hand, feeling them move around, then presented them to Kyouya.

"So, there will be two groups." Kyouya picked four pieces. "The first group is the following: Tamaki, myself, Mori, and Nami."

The groups looked at their respectable partners, Nami feeling a little shot down by the results. It was fair, yes, but to be in a group with the angst blonde, the puzzling, workaholic, and her crush…. this was too much for her patients. Besides, she wanted to buy a present for Mori—she could not do it while he was there.

Hunny looked up to Mori, sensing the tall boy feeling a little bum. "Don't worry, Takashi! I have Haru-chan with me; I'll be okay."

The twins looked down at the senior and replied, "What about us? We'll be here, too, Hunny-senpai."

He smiled, giggling at their comment, but did not reply to their words. Haruhi looked over to the raven hair senior, placing a comforting hand on him. "It'll be okay. I'll look after him."

Hunny hopped to her side, taking a hand to his own hand, which she smiled to welcome him. Her smile illuminated a glow to Hikaru and even Tamaki. Her sweet smile he longed for, wanting to keep it for him, but of course it was not. The blonde smiled but sighed to his selfish thinking. She made her decision and he had to live by it.

--

"O0o0o, look at this!"

Hunny ran up to the toys, repeating his exciting glance to each cute item. He touched, grabbed, and squeezed anything he could touch. He wanted the whole store—cute stuff animals, action figures, remote control cars. It was just too much to contain.

Haruhi never understood why her senior was so young in spirit, but she appreciated the feeling. To always act down the frustration and the complexity of understanding what to strive for; she always worried about the future. She was mature even before she was five. She had to be, but she treasured the times when she was released by the idea of maturity.

"Haruhi…. what do you think of this?" When she turned her head, a stuff animal lunged into her face. A gruesome, fuzzy, corrupted animal she could not identify. At first, she pulled away, feeling her heart race for a second, but then she listened to the snickering. Those two never stopped playing around.

"Hikaru, look at this." Kaoru pointed to a game for their Nintendo DS, which actually made the brother walk over to see it.

"Haru-chan, look at this cute stuff puppy." She glimpsed at the brothers at the counter before heading to where Hunny was squeezing a new toy. She watched him look at her, smiling then looked back at the stuff animal. Small, floppy ears, and black spots flourished all around. It was adorable.

"It is cute, Hunny-chan."

"I want it! I want it!" Before he continued, an idea popped into his head. "I'm gonna buy it." With that making his way to the counter where the twins were pestering the cashier.

So cute and so easily satisfied, she thought. If Hunny ever married or at least had a girlfriend, all the girl had to do was buy him a stuff animal. She laughed.

--

"Wow, look at all these Ipods!" Tamaki gazed at various sizes, the various colors. He had many technologies within his grasp at home, but he was afraid to get one. Of course, he did not care to be updated with the latest things, but he just did not know if he could hook up to the internet, find the songs he want…the process seemed too long for him.

Nami walked over to the Inano, feeling someone right beside her when she examined it.

"I see you more of a Ishuffle; something really small to work out with." Kyouya glanced over the newer model of the Ipod. Blue would be the best color for him.

"I dunno, the headphones are so annoying." She kept looking at the Inano, pressing on different directions. "I had one…. but I accidentally fried it in the pool. Forgot to place it off."

She heard a stifle of a chuckle, a deep chuckle. Her eyes caught a glance of Mori covering up his mouth, which made her smirk. So he did have a sense of humor.

Kyouya watched the exchange of looks, mentally writing down the changes until Tamaki walked over to his side. The blonde sniffed, huffed, and pouted within a couple of seconds.

"Kyouya, which one would be more for me? Honestly."

Kyouya looked at him, pushing his glasses back off his nose. The whole month he had received calls, exchange heavy, sorrowful conversations, and been a shoulder to cry on for the blonde. Ever since his rejection, Tamaki had unannounced many of his visits to the vice president. Of course, he would not push him away—he needed to be close to the business with the blonde's family. Besides, he looked like a pathetic mess, so he did not need to be alone.

"Regular Ipod, red one. It is so easy, even _you_ can't mess it up."

"Really? Thank you, Kyouya!" He suddenly plunged into an embrace with the glasses wearing boy, displaying sheer happiness for his kindness.

Mori and Nami just watched, feeling like something would happen—them knocking into the products, Tamaki starting another rant that would cause a commotion, or Kyouya punching the president in the face because of the closeness.

"Are you guys ready? I want to check out some other stores," spoke Nami pointing outward.

--

Haruhi and Hunny were sharing a vanilla ice cream, while the twins shared a large cup of fries. Kyouya lectured them all to be on time for lunch in the Food Court once their shopping was done. He proposed, at the most, two hours. They have been sitting in the place for fifteen minutes after the two-hour mark was done. So much for the lecture, they all thought.

"I love ice cream, don't you, Haru-chan?" asked Hunny taking licks to their shared ice cream cone.

"Hm…it's good." She liked it, but she wanted something to nibble on. She should have order something to eat, but the blonde insisted that ice cream is what she desired.

"Eh, Haruhi, turn here." The brunette turned her face to Hikaru, not noticing the fries rushing to her. She opened her mouth, just in time; nibbling on the fries he gave her.

She blushed; so he noticed what she wanted, she thought. She was searching for an answer, but he only stuffed her mouth once more with a fry. Noticing the lack of attention, Kaoru felt a little disapproving of the group. He understood he liked Nami, but he did not think it was enough to annoy him because she was not with them.

"Look, it's them!" Hunny rose from his seat, walking over to his tall cousin. Mori looked down, picking up his blonde counterpart. Hunny smiled, petting Mori while slipping him some of his ice cream to share. Comically cute.

Kyouya walked over, sensing the looks of the twins and Haruhi, but he simply shrugged his arms; it was not his fault. "If you want to blame someone, blame it on those two."

It was not what they were wearing, it was how the two showed the their new garments off. Tamaki walked, letting his black unbutton shirt show his white undershirt and black tie, trailing over his baggy black and white plaid pants. Nami ran her fingers through her hair, displaying her black vest over her long sleeve, form fitting green shirt with cropped jean capris and combat boots. They were aiming to show off their new sense of fashion, but all the group could do was stare at their play on modeling.

"Sooo…what do you have there?" asked Hikaru, feeling Haruhi brush him to protest.

"It's the street look!" Squeaked Tamaki posing several times to let them get a 360 degrees look.

"I think this is fitting, I love the boots. Make me wanna try skateboarding or something," replied Nami, triggering the younger twin to reply.

"With those boots, you look like you're going to go pick on some poor, defenseless children." He joked simply, but she took this chance to try out the boots by kicking his side.

"I think Nami-chan looks nice. Don't you, Takashi?" whispered the blonde senior.

He glanced over to the tall girl, examining the way she gripped on her bags from the street store. She smirked, walking to Haruhi, who just replied with a smile of her own. So she liked things like that?

"Hm…" His reply was a yes.

"Well, I'm starved! What's good to eat around here, Haruhi?" asked Nami rubbing her stomach.

"Uh, how about you look around?" teased Kaoru.

"How about you get a foot in your—"

"Nami! Behave, we're in public for goodness sakes!"

Nami scoffed at the blonde president, watching him shake his finger at her. "He started it."

"I know, but you should know better." Acting like a dad, she thought. Nami observed the blonde president frowning to her behavior, but all she did was shrug. She did not have a father, so she did not need to be lectured by anyone—especially if her IQ was higher.

--

The night pierced the skies with diamonds known as stars. The night of Christmas Eve came too quickly; surprising everyone when Tamaki acknowledged his Christmas Eve party was at eight. It would be a small arrangement; only a small group of customers were allowed to venture to his party. He did not think it would be a gracious holiday if he watched Haruhi surrounding herself with another man. He would not take it, especially if she was going to wear a very cute dress

"Beautiful." Tamaki glanced up at the ballroom, observing the way the chandeliers gleamed with the crystals, the corner suffocated with a large Christmas tree and various presents around its feet, the semi circle of an orchestra waiting to play, and the servants lined up with trays of drinks and food. The way the environment looked, he could just simply sigh with content to the holidays alone.

" Milord, why are we in the ballroom? It's too big!" The twins examined the room.

"Why must you question my plans?" He stopped, drifting into his "Prince Charming" mode. "I want to lavish the dear princesses with dancing once more."

The twins looked at one another, only dipping into their usual shrug. Sometimes they understood the president, sometimes they did not.

"Sir, the women have arrived," spoke one of the butlers, bowing to the blonde.

"Wait, where is Haruhi?"

"I'm here." She placed the finishing touches to her tie from the other room. She did not understand the idea of matching with the boys. Of course, she knew that this was fun and work, but the long sleeve, white button up shirt with cuffs, the Italian pink vest and matching tie, the slick black pants and shoes…. she felt like she was going to be a waiter and she had enough with that.

Tamaki felt his lips slip into a minor sorrowful smile but wavered back into his usual smile once her eyes looked over. "You look quite fetching in pink, Haruhi."

"I don't know if that was a compliment or an attempt of sarcasm, but thanks."

Hikaru looked to her, feeling his fingers wanting to fix her tie a little more—but that would be pushing it.

"Yay, is there cake here?" asked Hunny, letting Mori finish adjusting his orange vest.

"Yes, but please Hunny-senpai, be respectful with sharing." He giggled at Kyouya words. Of course he would…for the first hour anyways.

"All right, send them in."

Once the servants pulled the doors opened, numerous girls glided into the ballroom. Their dresses sparkled as well with their jewelries to the gleaming windows and chandelier. More than twenty girls fluttered in groups, chatting, commenting, and glancing at the handsome boys with the marvelous ball setup. Many girls complimented, remembering the similarity of the setup with last week's Host Club Christmas Party at the school but being that it is Tamaki's home, it brought more of an intimate feeling.

"Welcome, princesses!" The girls' flickered cheers and sighs, watching the Host Club bow to them. Each boy wearing the similar cut outfit with different colors—they adored the uniformity of the group very much.

"My ladies, please enjoy this Christmas ball. Once it strikes twelve, if you have a gift for your host, we will accept them gingerly," spoke Tamaki with a wink.

The girls took voyage, greeting their respectable host members. There would be a hand here, a smile there; all the slight affections for the winter holiday. The hosts smiled, each to identify their customers with their own smiles. Aw, the joy of receiving and giving.

"Hikaru, why must you toy with me by teasing your hands on me." Kaoru pulled away from his brother, touching his eyes for moisture.

"Kaoru, I don't mean to…. I really don't." Hikaru touched his brother's face, glancing into his eyes. He pulled onto Kaoru's baby blue vest, feeling his brother's hand on his green vest. The girls squealed with delight to the affection of the brother. Well, except one.

The group began to hear a chime of laughter, when the hosts glanced to the entrance. Nami stood, laughing with all her might as her hand pressed onto her chest for support. She walked in, trying to stifle her eruption; She swept up the end of her gown, a satin, baby blue dress, which flourished from her tightly no strap top to the ground. The dress touched her waist tightly then flowed out in a bubble form. For once, she looked graceful, until she opened her mouth.

"My Buddha, do you two know how gay you sound?" She smirked, making her way to the group. "Are you sure you like girls?"

Kaoru could not comment as he usually did to her—his gaze surveying her whole form. Her eyes brushed against his gaze—emerald to amber—she did not understand what was wrong? Usually, he would be the first to resort to her challenging comments.

"Nami-chan, you look so pretty!" Hunny made his way to her, pulling on her free hand.

"Thank you, Hunny-chan. My maids took my clothes again, giving me this only." She did not know yet if she would kill them or thank them.

"They look only look to benefit your grace…and they have," commenting a smiling Tamaki.

He stretched his hand out to her, clearly wanting to have a dance with her. Nami thinned her lips He looked charming, yes, but it was a goofy charming. Besides, she wanted someone have her first dance. So she just stared at him, and he waited. And waited. Alas, he was feeling she would not answer to him, so he withdrew his hand as she made her way to Haruhi.

As he began to contemplate more on the incident, music began to play. Many girls rushed to their host, asking for dances. They choose one girl, telling the others they would have their turn. Nami walked over to a servant with a tray of champagne, taking a glass for herself as she watched.

Haruhi picked her vice president in her class, the girl blushing extremely. The blonde president took a light brunette, whispering into her ear, which she replied a form of scarlet onto her face. Hunny happily took a raven hair girl, swirling the girl around as she replied with giggling. The twins swooped up two sisters, smiling was bouncing off the four as they glided along the floor. Kyouya bowed to a redhead, then caressing her face before taking her into the dance—she mustered up a happy sigh, gracing him with a smile. Mori took a short dark brunette, placing his hand on her waist and gliding her hand into his. The night was beginning with magic.

Nami watched the dark brunette, keeping her glance down from Mori but her redden cheeks said it all. The swimmer had only one thought in her head—she wanted to ram the girl away from the senior and then glide her own hands into his. Wait, she was being selfish, she thought. The Host Club were working, just like their last dance, so she could not be so hasty into thinking it was something more than that.

A group of classmates walked to the raven hair girl, holding their own cups.

"Yamazaki-san, you look great!" They perched around her, watching the girl smile and take a sip of her champagne.

"Thank you."

"Don't they all look good in their vest; I love Tamaki-sama's red one!"

"No, Kyouya-sama's purple looks so striking on him—Like royalty."

Nami looked over to Mori, seeing the girl grip onto his hand as he dipped her. She frowned but only slightly.

"I like Mori." Whoops, slip of the tongue! "I mean Mori's navy blue one."

"Oh, we know you made no mistake with the first declaration." The three girls giggled, making Nami look the other way. Way to go, Nami, she thought. Her face flourished with redness.

Once Haruhi placed the girl back within her friends, the girls lined up, waving their hand for their turn. She smiled, wondering whom to pick.

"Haruhi."

She turned around, seeing the older brother having his hand out. She glided her chestnut eyes to his amber, wondering maybe this was not the time. She thought it would be wrong—Tamaki would see them, her host would think of her as gay, Nami would heckle her later…but, dammit, she did not care. She slid her hand into his, feeling him pull her close to him. They were there, together, finally.

Tamaki's eyes followed the two onto the floor as he let the last girl go. He wanted to rush to them so bad. He wanted to push the ginger hair boy off of him. He wanted to pull her into a sudden glance and dance with her. But reality was there with him, putting him in his place. You cannot always get what you want.

"Senpai, may I dance with you?" Tamaki turned to see Nami, curtseying to him for his hand. He watched her, brushing down to the ground, but not as graceful as they both wanted since she felt herself waver. She cursed the shoes, but he simply chuckled. His hand took hers, pulling her onto the dance floor.

Kaoru watched them, gliding onto the floor and talk amongst each other. For once, he envied the president. He wanted to be her first dance. Glide along the floor with their hand gracefully placed on one another. He truly wanted capture her within a dance. Make her see the way he was trying for her admiration. You cannot always get what you want.

--

Time passed, the midnight drawing near as the host continued dancing. In a change of events, Haruhi took Nami into a dance, both of them awkwardly feeling at first until communication eased their minds.

"I saw you dancing with Hikaru." Her tone brushed into the brunette's ear, sounding as if it was a sweet tune…full of teasing.

"It was only a dance." She wanted to push the thought away, her cheeks appearing once more in a scarlet color.

"You two look good together," Nami commented truthfully. "I saved your butt with Tamaki-senpai. He was going to start cry."

Haruhi cringed slightly, feeling her stomach turn. " What did you say?"

"Oh, nothing really." She thought for a moment, trying to sum up her words. "I just said you can never tell how a story may end."

Haruhi tilted her head to the notion of their lives as a story, only smirking when the girl smiled. She really was a true friend, one she could really count on. Plus it was so nice to have at least one sane, female friend.

"Nami." The two stopped their dancing, looking at Kaoru walk up. His face, usually presented with a mischievous grin, held a serious expression with slight red cheeks.

Nami placed her hand on her hips, feeling a remark from her coming on, but all he did was lay his hand out to her. If she were not in a dress, she would have fell back in disbelief. The moment held, but then she smirked in an approving way. She accepted.

The two began to twirl around for a moment; both holding a piece of her dress while his fingers graced her side softly. He let her twirl under his arm, dipping her, and half lifting when he could hear it in the music. So graceful, so enchanted, so unlike me.

"When did you learn how to dance?"

"Oh, just because I'm a trouble maker, does not make me know how to dance," he replied, both caring a grin on their faces.

They continued to dance; falling into silence, but this time Kaoru began their converse.

"I have a gift for you." She perked up, wondering why but she did not ask.

"You probably don't have a gift for me…but I want to give you one…" He took a small box from under his vest and slipped it into her hand.

She glanced down at it, a gray and light blue pattern on the wrapping. She placed it in her hand. "Thank you."

Kaoru felt his heart race when he looked into her emerald eyes filled with sincerity. He knew if it were not today, it would be never. She would never know how he felt unless he showed her. He bent down to her, brushing his lips onto her cheek. He pressed on her skin lightly, then pulled back to see her face. It was one that he never would have ever seen on the raven hair girl--it was a mixture of disbelief, confusion, and slight stupidity. He laughed.

"Nami-chan." Again, she sighed knowing another dancer was there for her. She knew she danced with Tamaki, Hunny, Hikaru, Haruhi, and then Kaoru. It was a matter of time to dance with the workaholic, she expected. But it was not he; it was the one she wanted to dance with the whole night.

"Mori-senpai." Kaoru glanced at the swimmer placing the gift in a pocket of her dress, watching Mori slightly bow to her. Nami turned to Kaoru, which he just shrugged in content. The younger twin bowed to the two of them, making his way to another girl. At least he had his moment, and hopefully it was one to make her notice.

Nami watched him, feeling the kiss on her cheek still. He was a weird one, she thought. Her thoughts were caught off when she saw Mori take her hand.

"Senpai…" There they were; he glided her onto the floor, their eyes sweeping with one another. They could not hear the people anymore; they could not even hear the music. All they focused on was one another. With this, it almost frightened her.

"You having a good time?"

"Hm…" She learned that meant yes.

"I bet we are going to feel this in the morning." She smiled as he nodded.

Silence grew, though she could not help but blush. This whole time, she daydreamed of this moment—holding hands, him caressing her face, her giggling at his sweet comments. Though a day dream, she had to remember two things—one, he would not resort to such charming things like Tamaki, and two, she was not going to be that girly. She sighed, wishing that maybe she was like that.

"You look very pretty."

She heard him. Heard the exact words within his voice. If it were not his voice, she would have never believed that the comment came from him. Her eyes darted up to him; he carried a smirk on his face. She melted.

--

Once the clock struck twelve, the girls made their way to the hosts. They darted their gifts to them, hoping they would open theirs first. Nami decided to step outside on the balcony, waiting for Mori to finish with his clients. She was not stupid; she would not be caught in the turmoil of pushing girls.

She bent down to have her hand sit on the ledge, looking up to the stars. He said she was pretty. She could not believe it, wondering how he would muster up the comment. If he could not tell by her face, she was happy. Truly she was.

Then she remembered something. Kaoru's gift. She pulled the box out, glancing at the pattern once more before opening it. Once the box was open, a note was placed in be on top of the present. She opened it and read:

_Nami,_

_You owe me a present…._

_Kaoru_

She scoffed, reading the note once more, but her feeling changed once she looked in the box. Within the box, a pair of baby blue eye goggles and nose plugs sat. Kaoru took his time, thinking about what she mostly treasured in her world, which was obvious, but she could see him trying to find the perfect ones that would fit her. She smiled; maybe he wasn't so bad.

--

Haruhi walked with the twins out to their limos. The girls left, one by one once the presents were given, so the night was done. She helped carry their gifts to the limo, carrying conversation to both brothers.

"Kaoru, you danced beautifully with Nami." She saw him smirk as he tried to compress it.

"Yeah, if she does not see how much you care now, I would think she an idiot," commented Hikaru giving his limo driver a heap of gifts.

Haruhi looked over to Kaoru, seeing the blush. Wait, he liked Nami?

"Kaoru, you like Nami?"

The two brothers froze for a moment. Kaoru's eyes glared at his older twin, which Hikaru gave an apologetic smirk. Well, if Nami did not know now, Haruhi would tell her.

"I'm getting in the limo." With that Kaoru slipped into their ride as Hikaru backed up to the brunette. Poor Kaoru.

"Man, now I feel bad."

"It is not your fault. The slip of the tongue." She smiled; he blushed.

Hikaru looked around, making sure the scene was right. If he were going to make a move like his brother, now would be the time.

"Here." At the same time, they pulled out gifts, one wrapping in pink, and the other green. They stood, frozen to how they both simultaneously worked together into presenting their gifts.

"Do you want to open yours first for me?" asked Haruhi, gripping onto her pink gift from him.

He nodded, pulling the wrapping away and the box open. His eyes examined a small yet long dark forest green scarf. He rubbed his thumb along the pattern--felt like cashmere but he noticed it was knitted, not just fabric.

"I knit it myself. It took forever, but it came out nicely." She moved his hand to show a point of the scarf. "I knitted your name in with light green."

His eyes carried, observing the whole item. He could image her knitting while sitting at home. He could image her studying the scarf, noting how long it should be and such. But he could not imagine that she thought of him as its owner.

She smiled, grabbing his gift to open. She slightly let her hand touch the wrapping, then ripped the content open. Within the box, she saw several matching hair clips. All three presented in gold, which carried elaborate jewel flowers on each end. Her mouth hung open.

"I really did not know what to get you, but I thought about the way you do your hair in hairclips," he muttered.

"They must have cost a fortune."

"No, not really." A lie, they both knew, but Haruhi could not help but carry a smile.

"Thank you—" Her eyes pierced his—chestnut and auburn—burning to say so much. She moved closer to him, he followed. He licked his lips, she followed. He bent to her, she closed her eyes. The kiss was done, her lips pressed under between his. Then they pulled back, flourished in redness.

"Look!" shouted Hunny happily as he came out.

"We didn't do anything!" they both unison, trying to cover their mouths.

"No, it's snowing!" As they turned away, they looked out to the sky. The white flakes fell onto the ground and on the limos. It really was snowing.

"Oh, joy, what a gift from the heavens!" The blonde rushed with Hunny outside, spreading their arms to welcome the new condition. Oh, the upperclassmen kept such a light heart for things like these.

--

Nami and Mori watched the group dance within the grass and driveway to welcome the snow coming down. Such wondrous time this was for a Christmas. Miracles were washing through—snow falling down, the lavish party, Haruhi and Hikaru kissing. Oh, joy to the world.

"Thank you, Nami-chan for the kendo stick." She smiled, seeing his grip tighten around it.

"No, thank you for the Inano." She noted mentally that she would not have the item anywhere near the pool.

"Hm.." Silence came, as their gaze fell back to the others. Well, Mori looked to the others; Nami looked up at him, engulfing his whole existence—his wild short hair, his serene expression, and his long lean body. He was handsome, striking beyond words. She had always hated when girls would superficially comment on guys' looks. Now she understood; sometimes their features were worthy of praise.

Nami scooted closer to him, placing a hand on his. Her mind told her to run, but she did not. The tall senior looked down at her, observing her scarlet cheeks and gazing eyes. He has seen this look before. He had seen them on his other clients many times.

"Takashi." He knew it was coming, watching her face him. "I never felt like this at all." She pressed her hand on her chest, feeling her stomach turn over in fright. "I really want you to know…that I care deeply for you. I truly do…I like you very much."

Her eyes observed his, hoping to see some satisfaction from his face. She hoped and vision many dreams his trademark grin, moving in to kiss her lightly. A kiss was what she hoped for. She closed her eyes, letting her lips pout out. And she waited…waited. Waited little more until she heard him.

"I'm sorry."

Those two words, small and short, crept through her ears as she opened her eyes. She searched his face, his eyes, anything to see if he was joking. He was not.

She felt her body tear inwardly, her mind telling her to leave. Bust she stood there, still waiting and hoping.

"Takashi?"

"I can't, I'm sorry." For the first time, his voice sounded as if it had wavered.

She had her answer—her answer to her first crush. The images of affections, conversation, and stole glances played within her mind as she looked to his face once more. Her mind told her once more to run, and this time, she did.

--

A/N: I feel like I'm going to destroy everyone's love life. Anyway, so now a lot of things happened and I wrote A LOT. I hope this pleases you, readers, because I am pleased with writing it.

So what now for Nami? Why did Mori deny her? How is the Host Club going to help Nami? What about Hikaru and Haruhi's kiss? What about…gosh, just get ready for another heart wrenching chapter.

Oh, and please review!!


	12. Changing of the Tides

A/N: It's raining right now, and I love to write when it rains….Anyway, I want to thank you guys so much for continuing to read and giving me comments! I've had a lot hits with people looking over the fic! Please continue to review!

Anyway, On with the fic!

Chapter 12

Changing of the Tides

"Nami, you look awful!"

Nami peered up from her desk, gazing at the brunette before her. The first day back to school, Haruhi was anxious to see the swimmer. She called her phone during the break, wanting to hang out, but she did not answer. She left messages, inviting her to the New Years Day get together with the other hosts, but she heard nothing back. They all even came to visit, but the maids turned them away, saying she fell ill. Well, now seeing the girl, she could not deny something was wrong—her scruffy hair, her darkened eyelids, and her thwarted frown to her face. She looked a mess.

"Heh, I just been tired lately. Must be the winter weather," Nami replied, digging her hand into her hair.

Haruhi thinned her lips, trying to find something to say. Well, she was caught off guard once the twins were behind her.

"Whoa, Nami, did you get in a fight or something?" asked Hikaru.

She looked to them, finding nothing to say. Kaoru slid over to her, lightly pressing his hand onto her shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?" Nami just looked at him, seeing a composed, concern feature she rarely saw on him.

"Yeah, just haven't been myself." She pushed a smile on her face, hoping it would please them…they were not dumb.

--

The Host Club sat after their sessions were over. Nami did not come. She was becoming one of the regulars, greeting everyone, even Kyouya, before their work would start. Now, this was the second day in a row, on top of the events during the holiday, she would not come. This somewhat displeased the entire club.

"What happened? It kind of stinks since we can't tease her," spoke Hikaru.

"I know, I had so many, funny things to say to her, but she just put up this front." Kaoru slumped into his chair, felt as if he had a slight idea what was wrong—he had to make sure though.

"Maybe she was sick! I know if I was, I would want to be in bed," chimed Hunny eating a piece of his cake.

"I think it is more than that," spoke Tamaki rubbing his chin in wonder.

"Oh, someone here I know would know why. Wouldn't you, Mori-senpai?" The Host members turned to see Kyouya glancing over to the tall senior. He had no ill will to his comment and question, displaying a smile to show he meant his thoughts.

Mori sat there, feeling all eyes were on him. At first, he wanted to ignore the idea of Nami being upset because of him. He also wanted to tell them that it was his personal business. But he knew it was his fault—he had to realize that he was her first crush, so it would be hard on her.

"Hm…"

"Really, Takashi? What happened?" His cousin ate his last peace of cake before turning back to him.

Mori's eyes shifted through the room, collecting his words.

"Did…did she tell you her feelings, senpai?" Kaoru was the one to ask, leaving everyone, except Kyouya and Haruhi, flabbergasted. He replied with a nod.

"What did you say?" asked Haruhi, wondering the aftermath of the event.

"I told her sorry…. I just can't." The group sat there, visualizing what Nami was feeling. Her first crush, an honest young feeling of adoration, denied by simple words from the senior. The clarification of the happening cleared enough to tell them why she ignored them.

Kaoru, even feeling a little at ease from the decline, raised his glance to the senior. He had questions. "Why?"

The group looked at them, watching the younger twin glare at the senior boy.

He shifted his eyes away. "She deserved someone to love her—I don't think I could ever be on the same level of feelings for her."

Kaoru rose from his seat, feeling his hands becoming fists. The hosts never seen this type of reaction from this Hitachiin twin before—his eyes filled with anger, his teeth clenching, his head shaking side to side.

"What kind of answer is that? She's smart, sensible, real, cute." He felt his anger calming down for a moment, wondering whose side he was on; his or Nami's—his feelings or her feelings. "Sure she's clumsy, has a potty mouth, she doesn't mind hitting people, and likes to dress up in androgynous clothes, but she really cared about you."

Mori looked over to the boy, piercing his eyes with his own glare. Kaoru was backing her up, clearing he was. This was proof enough to know she needed this in her life than him. She needed someone who would defend her when she was there or not, outlining the positives and negatives about her, but still expressing true admiration about her. She needed someone who would put his own wants and needs away to help carry out her own. Mori could do that— but she deserved better.

"She deserves someone like you." His words were said so swiftly but made an impact to Kaoru. He fumbled in his steps, not knowing what to say, so he sat back down by his twin.

"Mori-senpai, it is all right." Tamaki placed a hearty hand on his shoulder, trying to help compose the boy (he was already composed though). "We will help Nami—a true friend to us all."

"Yeah, milord, but how?" asked Hikaru, trying to stop him before he went on a rant.

"That is easy. Just like the step we did with her before." Tamaki smiled proudly, nodding his head at his greatness—though at first no one knew what the blonde boy was talking about.

"I think Tamaki meant was that we should separately see her. Starting with Haruhi, then ending with Mori," spoke Kyouya, receiving the ohs and ahs for his decipher.

"Yeah, didn't I say that?"

"No, you left out a lot of the plan," they all unison, making the blonde boy want to crawl to his corner.

--

"Young mistress, Fujioka-san is here!"

Nami floated in the pool, silently not addressing the greeting. She heard the slight motions of footsteps, adjusting herself within her position from floating to swimming toward her towel and robe. Once she pulled herself out the indoor pool, she looked at Haruhi walking in. They stood for a moment, looking at one another, but the swimmer was the one to break the glance to grab her towel.

"I didn't know you have another pool."

Nami brushed the towel over her hair. "Yeah. Once the winter comes, I use this one."

Haruhi nodded, trying not to watch her dry herself off. Her eyes drifted to the water, reminiscing about the pool party when things were good. They were all having fun, something playful, something that would last as a memory. Why did feelings change everything, Haruhi thought.

Nami made her way to the girl, pulling her blue robe over her body. "So why did you come?"

Haruhi snapped out of her thoughts, rubbing her hair ends. "I just wanted to visit since I haven't seen you lately."

The taller girl stared at her, penetrating her eyes at the brunette for more explanation. She knew Haruhi was not stupid; she probably knew everything already. Hell, she would if she was in the brunette's shoes. Still, for moment, she was inwardly happy; Haruhi came for Nami's sake because she was worried.

"Follow me."

--

After a shower, Nami presented herself within the dining room. She ordered her maids to give Haruhi tea and snacks as she waited, so she was not surprised when she saw Haruhi was sipping the last of her tea.

"This vanilla mint tea is wonderful," she complimented, watching the raven hair girl take a seat across from her.

"It's my favorite…From France." One of the maids poured her a cup of tea and refilled Haruhi quickly before walking away.

Nami poured a small content of honey within the tea, watching another maid bring a tray of cookies to the table.

"Nami, I have to be blunt…. I know what happened."

The raven hair girl sipped her tea, brushing her eyes with Haruhi's serious chestnut eyes. Nami was really trying hard to act as if nothing was wrong. She pretended to not see her friends' concern face, ignored the phone calls, even missed out on seeing the Host Club itself. Still, she was here for her…. she could not ignore it at all.

Nami moved her tea away from her, letting her head rest on the table.

"Nami?"

"Haruhi, I'm such an idiot." She finally felt herself want to talk. "I should have known he say no."

"Why would you think that?"

"Look at me, Haruhi! I am not the image of femininity." She sighed, picking her head up but placing her elbows on the table. " I bet he likes girly girls."

"Mori-senpai?" The brunette thought for a moment, trying to image the right kind of girl for him.

Nami continued. "He probably likes short, girly girls with long hair—girls who giggle and smile all girly-like all the time."

Haruhi could not help but to vision a type of girl like that with Mori all the time. No, even he probably had pet peeves.

Nami peered over to the brunette, falling back into her chair. Somehow she really did not want to talk about Mori anymore. Quick, change focus on her, she thought. Oh, she had the perfect topic.

"Is it true that you and Hikaru kissed?"

At that moment, Haruhi was sipping tea. She was not ready for the question at all, so she spat her tea out her mouth. Her eyes stared at the grinning Nami, Haruhi's hands grabbing tightly to her cup. How did she find out?

Nami grabbed her tea, chuckling before taking a sip. "Mori-senpai and I saw you two at the Christmas party on the balcony."

Haruhi felt her cheeks redden, not knowing what to say. "It just happened. I really was not intent on receiving it."

"I heard good kisses happen that way." Nami nibbled on a cookie for a moment, replaying the incident they saw. "Was it good?"

"It was wonderful."

Wonderful? She could not describe it any other way than that. Of course, she did not tell anyone else about the incident—how could she? Still, it was an experience she replayed in her head everyday since then. Even now she could see the kiss—his lips gently brushing hers, then grabbing her into something she never felt before. Something so special and it was just Hikaru to share it with her.

"So what now of you two?"

Haruhi scoffed, placing her cup back on the table. "Nothing—I've already tried."

She imply little things to Hikaru, when they were alone together—placing her hand on top of his, walking or standing closer to him, staring at him in conversations longer than really needed. She was giving him subtle signs, signs that she wanted something more. But she was waiting, and no matter how patient she was, she had not seen any other real sign of improvement since the party.

"Well, maybe you should try the direct approach." She stopped, collecting other ideas. "Just spell it out to him."

Nami rose up the chair, placing her cup down. She placed her hand on her heart, standing innocently while looking up to nothing in particular. "Oh, Hikaru, I have long to be with you. I like you so much; be my boyfriend, please."

She looked up to the air, batting her eyes until she puckered up her lips. Once her lips were pouting, Haruhi stood herself, pushing Nami playfully from her stance. Nami flashed a goofy smile, seeing her friend redder than ever before. Haruhi could not be like Nami—her friend was direct with her feelings. Of course she did not have trouble telling what was on her mind a lot of times, but this was a new feeling for her. For once she was being submissive to her feelings, she did not want to take the step if Hikaru made no sign of it himself.

"I envy you, Nami." The swimmer looked at her friend, seeing the brunette tugging on her own shirt. "I don't know if I can say it like you did; I tried to, but I can't."

Nami bit her lip, placing a reassuring hand on her friend. "You were honest with Tamaki, so you can be honest with Hikaru."

Haruhi looked up, remembering the incident. When the blonde told her his feelings, she replied as well. She did not want to misguide him, hurting him any more when than she already did. She was collected her words, and it took a lot of courage from her.

"You're right." Haruhi cleared her throat, letting her lips slip into a smirk. "It was hard—just like it might have been for Mori-senpai with you."

Nami felt herself taken aback by the mention of the senior. She never thought, during her moments of sadness, how he felt when he declined her feelings. Sure, she questioned his motive, but once the act was done, she never thought about how he must have felt when he watched her run away.

"Don't worry, Nami. If you take one step at a time, so will I." The brunette smiled at the taller girl, hoping her words would help. Nami carefully glanced at Haruhi, feeling she could not help but to smile as well. One step at a time, huh?

--

"You are a sight of beauty."

Tamaki lowered his hand, caressing a maid's face. She giggled to his words, touching her face to feel the heat. The blonde brushed his sapphire eyes to hers; smiling softly and charmingly once she accepted his eye lock. She could not understand what happened; he came to see Nami but he was addressing her with affection. Oh, if time could stay still, she thought.

"Senpai!" The yell was swiftly, replied with a gasp from the maid as the blonde looked toward the swimmer walking down.

Nami stomped down the stairs, clenching her hands to the vision of the blonde president flirting with one of her maids. Did he ever stop the Prince Charming act?

"Souh-senpai, are you sure you're here to visit me?"

Tamaki sprung into action, taking her hand into his while the maids swooned at the instance affection. "Of course I am, princess. To see you smile is all I ask for."

Nami looked up into his face before pinching his hand off of hers. "Well, then don't try to flirt with my maids, ok?"

"Okay!" He sheepishly smiled, rubbing the spot of his hand from pain. Nami motioned him to follow, which he did, to her sitting room. It was then he noticed she was in her nightclothes—a green tank top and matching capris, under a blue robe and matching blue slippers. What time of the day was it?

"Umm, is it really late?" He looked around, trying to find a clock.

"It's ten at night, but it's okay. I was up anyway."

"Oh…. sorry."

She waved her hand at him to cease his apology, watching a maid make her way with a tray of tea. She simply took her cup while Tamaki took his cup, winking at the blushing maid before she walked away.

"Senpai." Her voice was warning, so he just ensured her with an apologetic smile.

"Nami-chan, I hope that you will rejoin us at the Host Club." He sipped his tea, studying her body language.

" I don't know…"

"You have to!" He rushed his tea down from his face, feeling the heat of tea on his hand. He should have lowered the cup slowly.

Nami watched his panic, the blonde trying to soothe the tea off of his hand. He was truly a bundle of energy. She watched him look back at her, seeing his expression change from panic to relief. He was truly a man of many faces.

"Please, Nami-chan. I know it hurts to be rejected, but we are your friends."

She scoffed harshly, wondering whom else knew until she looked at him again—his face softened, lips thinned into almost a frown, his eyes reflecting the slight sorrow she had felt in the weeks prior. She knew he felt the same way, probably the only one out of the group. He finally expressed his feelings to the one he truly cared for only to be declined. And yet he was smiling, always smiling or at least acting his usual self. A true kindhearted spirit.

"A very wise girl once told me that 'you never know how a story may end'."

The raven hair girl perked up in her seat, blinking at his comment he expressed. She told him that at the Christmas party when she saw him upset. He really cared about the brunette and felt his heart crush when she danced with Hikaru. Nevertheless, Nami accepted his hand in a dance, reassuring him that life was ever changing. It gave him hope for something he did not quite know, so he was doing the same for her. She smiled. He was truly a man of grace and charm.

--

"Nami-chan."

She groaned, grabbing her briefcase from her maid as she walked down her footsteps of her mansion. She would have never expected to see the workaholic standing in front of her home without the other Host Club members. She would have never expected to see him bowing to her as a greeting other than at the club-meeting place. She definitely would have never expected him to motion her into his limo to school. Truly the world was full of surprises.

She lowered into his limo, scooting for room to sit beside him. His lean body took his seat, nodding his head to the driver to drive them to school. Nami looked over to the glasses wearing junior not knowing what to say. She really was alarmed to see him this morning in front of her house.

"Don't play stupid, Nami-chan." Kyouya smiled, watching the girl sit up to her name. "I mean, you have to see the clues that everyone is worried about you."

"Even you, senpai?"

He gave a chime of chuckle, letting his reaction hit her. "No, not really." She scowled. Of course he wouldn't, she thought. He was too busy with his work.

"But…I do care about the affects of your departure from the club on the members." Sure, he was not a man of emotion, but he did have people he needed to watch for.

Nami placed her elbow on the door, letting her head relax in her hand as she looked out the window. "I'm sorry. I just had a lot on my mind."

"Of course. It isn't everyday that Mori-senpai rejects a girl." She wavered her eyes to a glare at him, but he simply shrugged. "Though most of the time, Mori-senpai would not reply to them at all."

Nami turned her head to him, letting his last sentence float in the air. She could vision the tall senior, watching a girl confessing but not addressing her. She could see him just stare at the girl, piercing her with his eyes, making her feel foolish for her try. But Nami heard him; he declined softly, hearing the strain within his own voice to speak to her.

"I wanted to meet with you to talk about your host being Mori-senpai." He took out his notepad; she just waited for his explanation. "You have to come back—"

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. You're affecting the work of everyone, so if you don't come, all the money loss will be billed to you, which is net worth of 100,000 yen a day." He heard a noise between a scoff and a gasp from her, but he continued. "Now, you don't have to be a client to Mori anymore, which I think would be a good idea for the moment. What about the twins?"

Nami looked at him, clearly wanting to wipe the smile off his face, but something about his smile was making her uneasy. Was it her or did his smile express a sign of warning to her. Warning that could lead her into more trouble. She sighed.

"I think the twins would be good for you. I mean to think Kaoru has talked so highly of you—and he even went up against Mori for you." Now that made her react the way he wanted her.

"H-he did?"

"Yes. It was like a knight defending a lady." He glanced toward her, seeing her eyes were looking out the window. "Kaoru may be a troublemaker with his brother, but he is the kinder one."

"Hm…" She sat there, visioning the boy trying to take on Mori for her. Her vision was of the redhead, wailing his untouched fists at the tree, but Mori simply picked him up by the collar of his shirt. Still, Kaoru kept trying while Mori just stared. She laughed.

"So, will you join us today?"

Nami looked back at the raven hair boy, sweeping her into a stare off.

"I guess." She smiled. "With the twins."

He wrote it down on the pad then closed it immediately. Their ride was done within minutes as the driver stopped in front of their school building. Nami watched the raven hair boy get out on his side when he lowered his hand for hers. She accepted simply for the fact he would help her out. Once she was out, she bowed for the ride, leaving him to go to her class.

"Nami-chan."

She turned back to him, seeing him adjust his computer bag onto his shoulder. He smiled, making his way to her, which almost frightened her—somehow his smiles were not as kind as she thought they would be.

"Remember when I told you how I would watch you for improvements on your behavior with boys—like when I told you I would see you steal glances from Mori-senpai?" She nodded, hating the fact that she was a specimen to him. "Well, while you looked to him, your knight in shining armor looked to you."

That one declaration made the girl stare at her upperclassmen. Kyouya just looked at her with his grin, patting her on the back. His work was done

--

"Nami-chan!"

The blonde senior jumped at her once she mad her way into the 3rd floor Music Room. He hoped to see her, he truly did. Once Kyouya made his way in, addressing the changes of her hosts to the Hitachiin twins, he frown slightly but understood quickly. If he were her host, she would have to meet with Mori, too, in her session. Still, it was good to see her.

"Guess what, guess what, Nami-chan!"

The swimmer placed a hand on his head, rubbing his soft, blond locks away from his eyes. He was getting so excited; she could barely see his animated, chocolate eyes.

"What is it, Hunny-chan?"

"I can swim." When a teacher hears one of their students is entering a top university or a kid announces to his or her parent that they made the honor roll, they feel proud. Nami smiled happily, letting her hand pat him on the head. She really was excited for him, especially since she knew he practiced repeatedly. She was very proud of him.

"Nami-chan, always smile like that." She stopped her hand, looking at the shorter student. "Your smile is like Haruhi's. It's really nice to have around. Don't be sad."

Nami felt her heart melt, seeing his pouty lips, his concern chocolate eyes on her.

"I'll try, just for you, Hunny-chan." With that he took her hand, gripped it for a moment, and hopped away.

"Nami."

She looked over her shoulder, watching the twins walk up to her. She observed them, arm locked with one another, smirking at the idea of being picked to be her hosts again.

"You look better today." Noted Hikaru truthfully.

"I'll say; though you still got that droopy face of yours!" Kaoru moved to her side, pulling her cheeks with a smile of his own.

Nami quickly swatted his hand away, returning the favor with pulling on his cheek. He moaned, feeling the pain coming, but deep down, he was happy. Her brother was true when he said she looked a lot better—her face looked more animated, her eyes were recovering their spark, she even resorted to violence to him. All was becoming good.

The trio made their way, sitting in the twin's spot for their session. Nami looked at her cake, collecting things to say. It has been a while since she had a session with the twins, recalling their attempts to freak her out with affection. Somehow within the crazy two months of being classmates, they became friends, eliminating almost all formality and nervousness between them. So, they would not mind the questions she was about to ask, right?

"Hikaru." The older twin perked up in his seat while sipping tea. "When are you going to ask Haruhi out?"

He felt the tea go down the wrong tube, gasping for air when he could not breathe. His brother took the cup away from him, trying to fling Hikaru's arms up for support. Maybe asking questions like that while someone was drinking was a bad idea.

"W-what in the hell, Nami!" Hikaru did know if he was angry or just remotely surprise at her question.

Nami shrugged her shoulder, taking the comment as just a question. "I mean you and Haruhi kissed and she did decline Souh-senpai for you."

Hikaru gaped at the girl before him, wondering why she was saying this to him. He could not deny his feeling—Haruhi was special. He could not deny that, at first, she was like a toy to him, but through the months, he became really attracted to things about her. He liked the way she would speak her mind, the way she would look at him, the way she smiled, the way she would dress when her father packed her clothes for her—ultimately, he liked everything about her that it scared him. Scared if he put all of him into a relationship, she would hurt him or vice versa.

"I don't want to hurt her."

Nami sighed, stuffing a big piece of cake she had in her hands. "Love is about chances…you never know if it is going to end right or not. But as long as you tried, everything will be okay."

Hikaru sat there, nodding to her words. "So, is she really waiting for me to ask her?"

"Definitely!" She scoffed, but then sheepishly smiled. "But don't tell her I told you."

The twins looked at her, letting out a chime of laughter to her reactions. But she was right. Love…or at least liking someone is about chances. Hikaru looked over to Haruhi's side of the room, watching her pick up empty trays from the table. She was free today of clients, he remembered.

"Excuse me, I have something to go do." With that, the older twin rose from his seat then walked to the brunette.

Kaoru and Nami watched for a moment, only to see Hikaru pulling Haruhi out of the room. Privacy was an essential to steps of relationships. Kaoru was happy that Nami said something. Of course, he told his brother almost the same advice, but Hikaru questioned his own motives, thinking it was not time and she did not want more. Silly to think that after such a kiss.

"So, Kaoru, are you watching over me or something?"

Kaoru's eyes brushed hers—auburn to emerald—trying to decipher what she meant by that. She finished her cake, placing the plate on the table before she sat back into her chair.

"Kyouya said you took up for me the other day against Mori-senpai." That bastard, he thought. "He even told me you would look at me when I was not looking."

He felt his mouth becoming parched, inwardly looking for something to say. Of course, this was the moment, other than the Christmas party, when she would know how he felt. But why did she have to stare at him like that? It was making him nervous.

"Well…."

"Well, what?"

Nami observed Kaoru folding his arms around himself, arching his eyebrow. She recollected the way he teased her, the way he would comment on her, the way he would look when she was down, the way when he kissed her cheek at the Christmas party…wait. Her eyes brightened, clearly finding a conclusion to her evidence.

"You like me." It was a whisper at first, but she repeated even louder. "You, Kaoru, like me!"

He winced, finding her standing in front of him, letting her finger point at him with her guess. Somehow, he did not know if he was happy or nervous that she knew. Of course, he knew she would not feel the same, but it could start something. Make her see him as a possibility.

"Well, you finally got smart," he replied, watching her smiling from being correct.

"Wow, you like me…. you really like me." She chuckled before she sat back down.

"So? You think it's funny that I do?" He did not know why she was laughing; it almost kind of pissed him off.

"No, I don't." She calmed herself down. "It's just, I didn't even know."

Kaoru looked out the window, which Nami took the time to actually see him differently. She never noticed how cute he really was, trying to hide his uneasiness—she could see him puff his mouth, tapping his foot. He really was something.

"You liked me, but you knew about my feelings for Mori." She paused, feeling her smile fall. "Even when you liked me, you took up for me with Mori-senpai."

"Yeah." He looked back at her, seeing she was nervous as well.

"Thanks." She bowed, surprising the young twin.

"Hey, you don't have to do that. You actually look stupid."

"I know…hey!" She reached across the table, punching Kaoru in the arm.

Kaoru laughed out, dodging her fists after the first one. Soon enough she stopped her infliction, watching the boy smile and laugh at her attempts. He really was something.

"You know I don't feel that way towards you." He nodded. "But we don't know what the future might bring."

They looked at one another, almost studying the aftermath of her comment. She did not know why she said that, but she meant it truthfully. She knew she had subtle feelings still for the senior, but she did not know what the future held for her.

"Okay, I can deal with that." Maybe she didn't see it, but within his amber eyes, a glint of hope sparkled.

--

Once the session was over, Nami knew if she met up with the other hosts, she might as well see him.

"Mori-senpai, you busy?"

The tall senior, sitting with Hunny, glanced up to see the swimmer, hands holding together behind her back. He could see the nervousness and the darting of her eye glances away from him, but he knew it was time to break the wall down.

"I'll go see what Haru-chan is doing." Hunny hopped up with his bunny in hand, running toward the brunette to spread the word.

Nami took this chance to take a seat across from her senior, finally making eye contact. Once she did, she could feel her heart melt then break once more. She knew it was not going to be easy. She knew looking at him made her want to cry again. She could almost feel the tears, but she would not cry. She just wanted to talk.

"I'm sorry." He repeated the words once more, bowing to her to show how sincere he was. At first, she was hoping that he would not replay the words, but when she saw him accidentally bang his head on the table, her sorrow stopped. He did not estimate how low he really was going with his bow while he sat; he touched his cake smeared forehead. She laughed.

"Mori-senpai, are you okay?" It was suppose to sound sincere, but she kept laughing through her words.

"Hm.." Nami walked up to him, wiping the cake off of his forehead with a napkin. She did not know why she was helping him—maybe a part of her wanted to pretend like the Christmas party never happened, maybe she wanted to just show how sweet she could be for him. But there she was, slightly chuckling while wiping his forehead clean like a good girlfriend would.

Once she was done, she sat back down, clearly still playing the bowing/cake incident in her head since she was still smiling.

"I'm a senior, Nami….. Once I leave this school with Mitsukuni, I'm not looking back." He was going to be completely honest. "I do care about you, but not the way you want me."

Her face went blank, letting Mori's words hit her. Nami closed her eyes, shaking her head at his explanation. Her feelings were for her previous host, the one who talked to her about birds, the one who told her he love swimming, the one who would not say much but showed a lot of what he meant. Mori was the guy she wanted.

"Maybe we can try." She never heard her voice so pleading, but she meant her words.

Mori shook his head, knowing it was going to be hard for her…and for him.

"The only thing I want from you is to be friends and make memories as friends." He looked at her, seeing her eyes water. For a moment, he hesitated his move, but once he thought, he reached over wiping her tears away. The movement was swift, but Nami felt his contact—so caring, so considerate, so warm.

"Takashi…"

"I would break your heart. I promise you I would." He felt a sigh release while he moved back into his seat. "…Besides, if I did, I think Kaoru would hate me."

Mori glanced to her, hoping she understood. Kaoru was bold, yes, and he could be crude, but he was very strong when it came to his brother and friends. To see him care so much for Nami, he would not deny that the next time Mori hurt her, the twin would not hold back. And deep inside now, Nami knew that, too.

"Yeah, that jerk would." She felt a chuckle escape her mouth.

Her eyes darted to him, feeling a smile on her face. Kaoru, she never would have thought. Maybe that's why she felt that sort of magnetic pulse when he touched her. Maybe, just maybe, once she let this pass, she would seriously think about it.

Nami stood up from her chair, feeling it was time to go. She looked to her senior, watching him stand up as well, but he gave another bow.

"I'm sorry."

Nami scoffed, rubbing her hands in her hair. "I swear, Takashi, if I hear you say that one more time!" She stopped her yelling, finding herself becoming soft again. "Is it okay if I call you Takashi?"

Mori stood straight, looking down at her soft emerald eyes. He could not give her the love she hoped for, he could not be the boyfriend she wanted him to be. If she wanted to call him by his first name, so be it. It was the least he could do.

"Hm…." He glanced down, finding a smile on her face. She waved goodbye, walking happily to a grinning Haruhi and Hikaru. Though she was not fully over him, she felt much better. She could feel that maybe it was better this way. One step at a time.

Mori watched her go, sensing the better atmosphere within the room. It was better to see her smile than see her crumble or not at all.

"Takashi?" Hunny walked over, searching for an answer within his cousin's eyes.

"She's okay…"

"But, are you?" Sure, he could have liked her, maybe even loved her, but someone was already there for her. Someone who would always protect her when she was weak, someone to make her smile, someone to give her the love she deserved.

"Kaoru, I'm going to kick your ass!"

Mori and Hunny looked over to the first years, observing Nami chasing the younger twin as he grinned. He looked over his shoulder, sticking his tongue out, and ran out of the door, but that did not stop her to follow.

"Yeah." Mori smiled. "I'm okay."

--

A/n: There you have it! Now, Nami knows how much Kaoru cares and how much Mori cares for her as a friend. I did not intend for her to be the main point of the chapter, but nevertheless, she needed a moment.

Soo, are Hikaru and Haruhi an item now? Will the other hosts find their own love? What will happen between Nami and Kaoru? I'm already working on the next one, and it is going to be good.

Please review! **I won't put up the next one up until ten more reviews (smiles evilly)**


	13. Picture This

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone. My beta reader aka my sister wanted me to try to see the value of my work from other people by reviews, so I did the 10 reviews thing. I won't do that anymore, but** I enjoy hearing from you guys immensely, so please continue to review!**

Anyway, on with the fic!

Chapter 13

Picture This

Valentine's Day was coming up soon, though the day was actually weeks away. Tamaki enjoyed seeing blushing girls, nervously presenting their treats to him. He would smile, letting his fingers sweep within their hair, his eyes gazing within their own, letting his breath and words brush across their face…he knew how to make a woman blush. Yet, the woman he wanted to see blush within his simple affection was with another man.

"Young master, your father is expecting you in his work room."

Tamaki, busy hugging his bear in the corner, turned to one of his servants, making the servant jump back from seeing his tear stained face.

"Young master?" Tamaki, swiftly placed his bear back on his bed, changing his expression into a confident, smug look.

"Sorry about that, I was just thinking about something." He grinned, walking past the servant.

Moments later, he walked into his father's office, seeing the man studying a file carefully. Usually when he did see his father, he was always busy with something relating to school. Nevertheless, whatever his father planned, he was always there to support and vice versa.

"Son, we will be expecting a potential student tomorrow to see the school." He looked up from his file, smirking. "She is from North America."

"Really?"

His father nodded "Here's the file; take it with you, so you can get a feel of the girl."

"So, does that mean, I'll have to escort her around the school?"

"You might be bright, after all."

Interestingly enough, Tamaki shouted with joy, hugging the file in his arms. It was not the idea that he was interested in being his father's helper; it was the idea of another girl to add to his ego, and an American girl at that. He opened the file, readily reading the work of the future.

--

"Wait, freeze that pose."

Her hand, busily brushed against the boys' hair, letting his brunette locks fall over his eyes. She walked back from the scene, a boy gracing his hand on a raven hair girl's longing face as they both sat under a tree. The girl picked up her camera, strapped along her neck, fixing the right aperture and lighting. She could feel the emotions with the captured scene. So passionate, she felt. She squat down to the ground, measuring the right moment to snap the picture.

"Hi, are you—"

"Give me a moment, please! I have to take this!" She busied her hands on the camera, adjusting the lens. She felt it, the wind was breezing. Once she saw the girl's hair sweep up within the wind's grasp, she snapped the picture several times. Nice.

"Okay." She released a pleasing sigh, standing within her place. "Thank you so much for the picture."

The two people blinked sheepishly, waving to the girl as they walked away. They came to only talk outside before class, never thinking they would be models for a foreign girl. Life was full of surprises.

Tamaki walked to the girl, tapping her on the shoulder. She peered her hazel eyes over her shoulder, observing the blonde junior smiling at her. She felt herself gape at the sight of him—his short, soft blond locks, his long lean body, his cool yet warm sapphire eyes. He was perfect.

"May I take your picture?" Before Tamaki, could say a word, she pulled him over to the bench.

She pushed him down, positioning him into a relaxed sit. His long leg crossed over his other leg, his arms stressed over the top of his seat, his head tilted upward with a smug smirk on his face. The scene breathed cockiness, temptation, and a bad boy, which was perfect for her.

"Okay, give a moment to adjust my camera." She stood there, looking down at her camera, which gave the blonde time to survey what he had there—short, slender girl with long, dirty blonde hair in a ponytail wearing a long sleeve purple shirt with mid drift, dark flare jeans, and black converse shoes. When she looked up from her lens, he could tell she was a cute girl, though he wondered did all American girls look like that.

"Thanks for the picture." She walked over to him, extending her hand to him. "The name's—"

"Rebecca Taylor, daughter of the photojournalist Ryan Taylor of North America."

Tamaki smiled sincerely, but the artist glared at him.

"Are you another stalker…or a paparazzi?" Her eyes instantly grew, letting her body jump back from him. "If you don't move away, I'll make you regret it…. I have pepper spray!"

"What? No, my dear, I am assigned by my fath—the dean to escort you around the school."

Rebecca swiftly brushed her hazel with his blue, gripping to his camera. She did not know if she could trust him; Of course he was handsome, but that could be his disguise of his cruel intentions. Maybe it was his disguise, maybe it was his smile, maybe it was because she was becoming restless from just staring at him, but she gave in. Well, if he was lying to her, she still had her pepper spray to fall back with.

"Where to, umm, what's your name?"

Tamaki flashed her with his charming smile, letting his hand pull onto hers. He bent to kiss her hand, brushing his lips so closely, but once he pressed his mouth on it, he felt light flash above his head. She took another picture with her free hand.

"Sorry, it just looked too good to let pass."

--

"Everyone, meet Rebecca Taylor. She's from North America."

The Host Club plus Nami observed the girl, watching her focus her camera's lens at the group once again. Ever since the foreign girl walked within the doors, she ran within the club, taking pictures of the clients and host members conversing with one another. She swept their hair in different ways, positioning their postures, and added other objects to create a better atmosphere. The girls were actually delighted to be presented within the artist's pictures, but more or less, some of the host members felt tinge of annoyance with her guidance.

"So, you're American?" No wonder she's so spontaneous, Haruhi thought.

"Yep, I'm from Miami, Florida to be exact."

"Ah, the city of beaches, night clubs, and tans." Kyouya remembered wanting to visit, only to see if he could buy a beach house.

"North America? What made you want to look at a school here?"

Rebecca playfully pouted; feeling the rush of emotion hit her head.

"My family and I are moving to this area next year. Papa wants to do some landscape pictures, and my mom is wanting to paint with Japanese inspiration." She gave a dramatic pause, letting her hands touch her chest while looking outward to nowhere particular. "At first, I was torn with the idea of leaving my friends and my own built in darkroom, but they ensured me that I will have my own darkroom here, so I decided to take a preview before moving."

All of them, minus Hunny and Tamaki, stared at the girl, finding nothing really dramatic to her story. Another Tamaki, they instantly thought.

"So? Are your family well off then?" asked Nami, trying to continue the conversation.

"Hmm, well, I guess we're in the start of being rich." She examined her camera. "More like, art is finally getting the deals it deserves in this century."

"So, Re-chan, you must like photography?" asked Hunny, tugging on his bunny.

"No." She darted her eyes to the small blonde senior, sweeping him up by the collar. "It's. My. Life."

"Ooookay, someone here is a little crazy," whispered Kaoru to Nami, the swimmer lightly slapping the boy's arm. Snap, another picture.

"You two!" She pointed to Nami and Kaoru. "Make another pose; you guys look great together!"

The two looked at one another, not knowing what to say. Of course, it has been several weeks since the whole fiasco of Nami returning to the Host Club sessions. Knowing Kaoru's feelings, she let the idea drift within her head, allowing the twins to be her hosts. Still, when the gaijin commented on the two, she could not help but to arch her eyebrow.

"Rebecca…." Tamaki stated with a somewhat warning voice.

"What, you don't agree? They just need some help on their stance!" She led herself to them, guiding Kaoru's hand to slightly wrap around Nami while guiding Nami's face to look apon the redhead. It was not the fact that he was touching her that surprised her; it was the fact that she felt that jagged rush of adrenaline once again. They had to separate, so she pushed him away…enough to make him fall to the ground.

"What you do that for!" Kaoru looked up, sitting on the ground. "You're such an amazon."

"What did you call me?" Nami kicked him in the leg, crossing her arms. "You're just a wimp."

"What!" Kaoru stood glaring at the raven hair, slightly growling when she stuck her tongue out at him. Another snap. The group looked to Rebecca, watching her take pictures from different angles.

"Oh, the rapture of Japanese love…."

"We're not in love!" unison the two victims, moving toward her. She took another picture.

"Taylor-san, you might need to stop." Tamaki protested, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Really? You guys are no fun." She dropped her camera, feeling the straps hold tightly to the item around her neck. "I mean the girls from St. Roberia Girls Academy were so entertaining, especially the Zuka Club."

The group, except Nami, stood, staring at the dirty blond girl who just nodded her head. The Zuka Club, counterpart of the Host Club, got to the girl before them—their over dramatic acting, their ravishing costumes and setting, their ridiculous idea of female superiority and twisted front of lesbiansm. How could this girl be interested in such a profound school unless…..

"Taylor-san, d-don't tell me…." The blonde student pointed to the girl before finishing his accusation. "You're a lesbian?"

Rebecca placed her finger beside her lip, pondering the idea of girls—their luscious lips, their innocent smiles, their curvy shape. "Um, nope—but that would be interesting pictures!"

Nami could not help but to glare at the blonde president for making such an accusation. "Excuse me, senapi, but not every girl who goes to all girl schools are or turn into lesbians."

"Are you sure? You did not like guys for a while, Nami," spoke Hikaru, appearing beside the swimmer.

"I'll say, you were probably fawning over some rugged, tall girl—another amazon for an amazon," replied Kaoru appearing on her other side, but her fist appeared in the side of his arm, pushing him back to the ground.

"Some interesting ideas, but no! Though….I did have a lot of girls following me." Nami crept back in her thoughts, replaying the years of her past. Girls at her school were always very nice to her—acknowledging her instant appearance within rooms, cheering loudly for her at every swim competition, having gifts presented within her locker. Hmm, she never thought of anything of it, just girls wanting to be her friends, but now…..

"The Zuka Club showed me around their school, letting me take as many pictures as possible." She continued, letting her face appear to have scarlet color on them. "Those women know how to pose!"

"So do we! Come on, Hunny-sempai, let's show her what we got!" Tamaki did not know why he replied so hastily, but as they looked to him, Tamaki began his series of Prince Charming poses.

"OoOoOo, I like picture!" Hunny stood beside his president, posing with his bunny from left to right. Even Mori began to pose, clearly moving his poses but his blank expression stayed the same.

"Kyouya, do you think it is necessary that he does that?" whispered Haruhi to the vice president.

"You know Tamaki. He does not want those Zuka girls to be the winner of a new student," replied Kyouya, watching Rebecca take pictures of the posing president and the two seniors.

Hikaru walked over to the brunette, placing an arm around her. At first, she was surprised by her boyfriend, clearly not being warned, but she calmed down once he gave her an apologetic face. It was weird, seeing him not caring if the school or anyone saw him become affectionate. Of course, she did not mind, but it always happened when she was not expecting it.

"You ready to go?"

She looked up at him, wondering what he meant, but then remembered—they were going on a date.

"Oh, um…yeah.." The two turned to go.

"Hey, where are you two going?" The words were hit like bricks, especially when it was Tamaki's voice.They turned back, smiling as they felt the redness of their faces erupt.

"Oh, umm, we were just going to ummm some places…" Haruhi's voice drifted, sensing the uncomfortable feeling in the air.

"We were going to the kareoke place and the arcade for a bit," finished Hikaru, dropping his arm.

"Really!" Tamaki did not intend to be so excited—he also did not intend to hear Rebecca say the words with him.

"I've always wanted to go to authentic Japanese date spots!" Rebecca jumped to Tamaki's side, pulling on his arm. "I wanna go to that! Please!"

Tamaki turned to Haruhi and Hikaru, sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere. Of course he knew that it was a date for them. Something so delicate was blooming between the two, wanting to continue with something personal. A date would be nice, he thought. He wished he had the chance to do the same with Haruhi.

"I'm sorry, Taylor-san, I think they meant to have the outing for themselves." He did not intend his voice sound sad, but it was his natural emotions that were coming out.

"Well, it would be more fun if we had friends with us." Haruhi was the one to speak. She looked up to her boyfriend, hoping he could read her glance.

Hikaru looked back down to her, then back at his group. He was little peeved, he wanted to have alone time with Haruhi, but the way she looked at him, he could not decline her words. Sometimes he hated that she really was too cute, with boy or girl clothes. Nevertheless, he would make sure that she would make it up later.

"Yeah, the more the merrier." Rebecca jumped up in happiness, looking up to the president to see if he returned the feeling. All she could see was a slight sorrow in his sapphire eyes, covering it up with a smile. She did not know why, but she felt as if she was missing something.

--

"So this is a kareoke room…" Nami, Kaoru, Hikaru, and Haruhi sat down within the seats, watching Tamaki and Rebecca survey the room. A large room filled with seats lining the room, a long table with a large booklet of songs, and a large telvision with two two mics. The two gleamed with happiness, jumping around taking notice every inch of the place.

"I can't wait to kareoke." Rebecca took a seat in an empty seat, patting the seat beside her for Tamaki. He accepted happily.

"It is not that big of a deal," spoke Kaoru, involuntarily placing his arm around the top of Nami's seat.

"Don't listen to him, it is exciting." Tamaki smiled, which Rebecca mirrored her own.

"So who wants to go first?" asked Haruhi picking up the book.

At the same time, both Tamaki and Rebecca raised their hand, which made the other four just roll their eyes, some more or less. For instant of a thought, they swear the four thought they were babysitting than having a friends' outing.

Tamaki turned to the gaijin, charmingly said, "Ladies first…since this is your first time in Japan."

Rebecca smirked, nodding to his generosity. Her hands pulled the strap of her camera off her, adjusting the lighting and the lens. Her eyes locked with Tamaki, which actually surprised him, but he brushed it off. "Hey, can you take pictures of me singing?"

At first, he did not know what to say. When she presented in front of some the teachers, they informed her to not take photo of the class, trying to take the item away from her. She told them she would not take pictures, but she did not trust her camera with anyone else. His words were stopped, so all he could do was smile and nod. She trusted him.

The photographer stood, reaching for the booklet, which Haruhi gave swiftly. As she excitedly looked, Nami peered over to the blonde junior, seeing the giddy smile and scarlet on his face. She muttered a slight chuckle, which got the others to look at her, and then look at the direction of her eye glance. Was something happening?

"Yes! I am so excited to see this on the playlist." She typed in the number, smiling with sheer confidence. "Okay,get ready to be amazed!"

At that instant, the song began to play, making Rebecca start a familiar dance sequence. Hare Hare Yukai, they all thought. As her words picked up, she could feel herself becoming just as animated as the characters dancing within the song. Her voice, in the middle of being bearable and squeaky, filled the room as she cutely danced the memorized moves. The twins felt they wanted to throw up; Nami and Haruhi felt somewhat impressed; Tamaki was in all awe. Oh, yeah, pictures, he thought. He snapped several, watching her through the lens until she was done.

"That was awesome!" Rebecca fell back into the chair, passing the mic to Tamaki. "Did you take some good pictures?"

"All of them were wonderful." Rebecca blinked to his reply, feeling her heart race but covered it up with a laugh.

"Milord, you're up!"

"I know, give me a minute!" He carefully gave the camera back to the artist, grabbing onto the booklet for songs. She watched, thoroughly amused with his goofy yet serious contemplating. He really was handsome, having his blonde grace over his eyes. She took her camera, finding herself wanting his picture. Soon enough once the click was heard, everyone, including Tamaki, stared at her, seeing she took another picture.

She grinned, winking to the blonde. "Sorry, it just looked too good to let pass."

--

"Are we there yet?"

Rebecca pouted, feeling her legs wanting to give up. After the kareoke building, they decided to head to the arcade on foot, so they could pass a place for some food. Nami pushed for some authentic sushi, which Haruhi entrusted that it was a good mile away. Nevertheless, The American was determined for sushi. She cursed herself for her stupidity once she learned it was an uphill walk.

"Are you actually breathing hard?" joked Hikaru, looking over his shoulder.

"Hey, less talking, more walking," Rebecca huffed.

"Don't worry, we're coming up to it." Haruhi looked down, feeling a hand brush agasinst hers. For a moment, only brushing back and forth was going on with the two, but now Hikaru went for the jackpot--He pulled her hand slightly, gripping once she snuggly slipped it into his palm. No one saw it since they were ahead everyone, but the two felt their faces blush.

Tamaki looked on, a little bit behind as he saw the small scene. So small, so quick, so personal. It was truly a sweet sight…..that only caused him pain. Of course he knew he would see this, which was why half of him did not want to accept the invitation for the friendly outing. Dammit, why did letting go hurt?

"Tamaki, are you okay?" At first, he did not hear her words, so she slipped her hand into his as they walked. He looked back, gracing hazel with blue. He wondered, but all he did was smile.

"Kaoru, if you touch me one more time, I'm going to—"

"But everyone is doing it!" Smack, the four ahead heard the loud noise, not wanting to see the damage that was done.

Once they got to the sushi restaurant, Rebbecca ran to a booth, looking over the items of food. The menus carried delicious type of authentic sushi, food, and drinks, which clearly made the dirty blonde hum excitedly. Honestly, she has had a range of Japanese food, but she always wondered if the taste of her favorite was the same overseas?

Nami sat down, looking away from an annoyed Kaoru who rubbed his arm. It was a simple, small affection—holding hands—but she made it such a big deal. He felt if Mori tried to do the same, she would either smile happily or blush embarrasingly. He huffed—life was not fair to him at all.

Haruhi and Hikaru leaned against eachother since the room in the booth was limited. They were quite close in private but to be around their friends this close….Haruhi could even smell her favorite cologne on him. She blushed.

"Do you know what you want?" asked Tamaki, clearly placing his Prince Charming act back on.

"I know I want eel, but other than that, I dunno."

"How about we share a big plate of variety?"

"Only if you feed to me." The forwardness in the remark alarmed everyone, especially the blonde. Of course, he swept her into a glance, reading her immediately. A joke….so he was going to continue it.

"Okay, only if you feed me first." He brushed his hand along her face, watching her lean into his hand—the rest of the group gawked. Before they could even ask, Rebecca grabbed her camera and snapped their faces twice in pictures.

"Haha, gotcha!" She took Tamaki's hand. "Oh, you were just too good."

"Thank you, thank you!"

"You guys were joking?" asked Nami, arching her eyebrow.

"Yeah! I mean American girls are not that forward!"

"By the way, Taylor-san—" spoke Haruhi.

"Just call me Rebecca or Becky."

"Umm, Rebecca….your Japanese is very good."

"Thanks, it took a lot of practice. I've always been fascinated about Japan."

Tamaki turned her, finally having someone who felt the same about his obsession. "Me, too! I want to visit all the best places and try everything."

"Me, too, future senpai." They all looked at her, gazing for an explanation. "Oh, yeah…. I've decided to go to school here, once I finish this year."

"Really? That's great to hear," spoke Tamaki.

"Great, another milord," unison the twin, gazing at their menus.

--

"Wow, that arcade looks amazing!"

"I know!"

Tamaki and Rebecca locked hands, skipping into the place while the other four just stared. Each one hoped that nobody really thought that they acted the same.

"Look, there's an authentic DDR!" The photographer took her camera, taking several pictures in different angles at the empty game system. "Who wants to play?"

"Umm, that's so last year, Rebecca," spoke Kaoru.

"I'll give it a go with you." Nami remembered she always wanted to try it. It was alittle like dancing, rythmn reading, and balance. She would see lots of kids all over the place with these machines, making her want to try, but she did not want to do it alone.

"Tamaki, please take pictures again!" She gave her camera to him with a smile, walking to join the swimmer on the game. Rebecca started to bend her arms and legs, which everyone wanted to ask but did not. She wanted to stretch, so be it.

"Okay, let's give a go!"

Once a song start, Nami picked up very quickly, feeling the beat with the songs. She jumped, tapped, even motioned her body with the rhythm. Rebecca, on the other hand, squeaked at each jump, double guessed heself for the quick steps, and tried to hear the rhythmn but could not. She actually started to feel tired. She almost regretted trying this level.

Once the song ended, Rebecca jumped off, laying on the floor to breathe.

"Do you really have to lay on the floor?" asked Hikaru.

Rebecca wanted to turn her head to him, but only let her eyes move. "I'm tired. I need to rest."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have placed yourself on standard if you were not ready," informed Haruhi pushing back a chuckle.

"I was optimistic." Snap, they all heard. Her hazel eyes looked over to a laughing blonde junior.

"You just look cute like that." Maybe it was her breathing, maybe it was the fact she was on the floor, maybe it was even the fact that she felt hot, but her heart was racing and her cheeks deepened in redness.

"So you're done?" Nami clicked on another song. "Kaoru, get up here, and play with me."

He switched his attention to the swimmer who looked back with a smirk. She noticed she was being kind of rude to him. Sure, he was being a jerk, but maybe he could not help it. Nami watched him take a stand beside her, and she did know why, but she swore she could she him blushing.

--

"Man, today was so fun!"

Rebecca smiled with Tamaki as they entered the expensive hotel. It was getting late, so everyone decided to go to their respectable homes….well, except the blonde president. He wanted to ensure the safety of the young lady, which she accepted his escort instantly. The two walked out to a large balcony, companied with the night sky and stars, and Rebecca holding a stand for her camera. She wished she had better lighting because she wanted to capture the beauty in the nature.

"It is a really pretty night." He felt his mind flask back to a memory—the same stars, the same sky, but with fireworks. No, he thought.

"Tamaki, what's wrong?" He looked to the girl with him, reading her expression as concerned.

"Heh, nothing, I just was having a memory."

"Something about Haruhi?" His heart plunged, but he just smiled, gracing her with his flashy blue eyes.

"No, I was just thinking abour how beautiful you are." He walked over to her, letting his hand cup her face, but once he did that, she could see the lie—he was not okay.

"You loved her a lot, didn't you?" He relaeased her face, wanting to run away or at least sit in a corner.

He slumped on the ledge of the balcony, feeling all his feelings rush within, seeing the images of what was and what could have been. He would have made her happy, or he would try his best. All he wanted was her near and to touch her…..not like a father, daughter thing. More like lovers.

"Have you ever loved someone?" asked Tamaki, observing the heavens.

"Heh….hasn't anyone our age." She placed the stand up, angling so she could see his eyes and the shadows within his appearance. Perfect, and click.

"I loved Haruhi, more than I thought I could." He sighed, he heard another click. "I thought she was the one—but she liked Hikaru more."

"Well, you're lucky—at least she's still your friend." Her words were bitter, as she placed a constant time on her camera.

She walked to Tamaki, leaning on the ledge herself. "I told the guy I loved my feelings, and he never talked to me again." Click.

"How horrible!" Tamaki faced her, but she just smiled. It was funny; he thought he had it worse than anyone, but she had the worst. To love someone who never talked to you was indication for real heartbreak. The junior could picture her crying every night, holding back tears when she saw the guy in the halls, smiling to her friends but tearing up inside. Horrible creatures people can be.

"But, you live on because maybe it is for the best." She placed her hand on top of his shoulder, feeling him tense for a moment then relaxed.

"For the best?"

"Sometimes, something better comes along." Their eyes met, both not wanting to say a thing. Click.

Tamaki turned away from the balcony, for once not knowing what to say. And yet he had so much to say. He looked back at her, surprised to see her face softened into something so innocent. Her face reddened, fingers trying to cover her lips, leaning to him slightly.

"Do you know why I take pictures?" He shook his head. "Photography helps me remember the little things, acknolwedging the simple parts of my life that I want to remember. Sure, a lot of them are projects, but my dream is to make a booklet of my first relationship……my first requited love from the beginning of meeting them to maybe marriage or farther along."

He found it quite thrilling that she would do something like that. At first, everyone, even himself for a moment, thought that her picture-taking was becoming annoying. She was in people's faces, blinding them with the light, making people her models. She just wanted to remember the days when she was happy, she wanted to keep great memories not just in her mind, but in a booklet. It was admirable.

"Tamaki, may I kiss you?"

At first he was alarmed by the forwardness. The indication of her previous remark of American girls being not that forward was diminished. The blonde boy looked down to see her leaning toward him, feeling the touch of her hand on his chest. She was delicate, letting her other hand brush against his hand. She pushed herself on her tip toes, letting her breath sweep along his face. She was so near.

"B-but I still have feeling with Haruhi?"

"I know, but I think this will be something better for the both of us." As soon as her words were said, she pushed herself closer, diminishing the space between their lips. The sweet intoxication flowed through their veins, Rebecca feeling her body wanting to fall. But he held her, almost not wanting to let go. Click.

As he withdrew, she let her forehead press against his chest. Both feeling their breaths shortnened, they stood there for minute. Click. Tamaki did not know if he would regret this or not later, but in the moment, he felt another chapter opened. It was as if his story was continuing but with a different chapter.

"You Japanese boys know how to make a girl feel welcomed." He laughed; she smiled.

--

After school the next day, the Host Club members and Nami went with Rebecca to the airport. They all knew she came to visit, realizing she would not stay that long, but some people were taking it like this was the last time.

"So when you are you moving here?" asked Hunny.

"During the summer while you guys are still in school."

"I can't believe this is good bye—it feels like we did not have a lot of time with you," spoke Nami.

"Nami, we met her yesterday….geez." Kaoru braced himself for a hit from his comment, but all she did was lightly push him. One step at a time.

"Thank you for putting up with me yesterday; I know I can be a little pushy with my pictures." They all stared at her, fighting back the comments.

"It was nice to meet you, Rebbeca," commented Haruhi.

"Thanks….but the two of you better not get married while I'm gone." It was an innocent joke to Hikaru and Haruhi, but they blushed anyway.

Tamaki looked at Rebecca shaking hands and smiling to the group, feeling almost hurt. It was like her chapter was going to be placed on hold. Here was a girl who came within a day to see the school and already had him lingering. It was as if Buddha was playing tricks with his feelings.

"Tamaki, I have to go now." He looked at her, feeling sadness wanting to rise, but all he did was smile.

"I know."

"Look, I rarely do this." She gave him a paper. "It's my phone number and my address."

The group widened their eyes, wondering what was going on, but Tamaki ignored them. He held it tightly to his chest, smiling sincerely.

"You better write and call me." He nodded happily, which made her smile. "And remember what I said last night." He nodded again.

She turned away, grasping her bags. She was going and would not see him for almost five months. Logically, if there truly was a spark, they would be fine, but it was five months. She turned to him, dropping her bags before she sprung into his arms. She brushed her lips over his cheek, pressing on it tenderly. Everyone just stared.

She dropped to his side, seeing a playful smirk on his face, but she just shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, it just looked too good to let pass."

--

A/n: Yay, Tamaki found a love…or at least he has someone who is interested in him. I actually think Rebecca is funny because she kind of like an artistic Tamaki who is obsessed with pictures. Heh, She won't really be in the fic until much later.

See you in the next chapter!!


	14. Be My Valentine? Check Yes or No

A/N: This chapter is going to really to turn things around for a certain potential couple…. (Sighs) Oh, I can't wait.

Also, One "month-versary" to the fic! I love it deeply!

Chapter 14

Be my Valentine? Check Yes or No

"Valentine's Day is coming up, Haruhi."

Nami observed the brunette, watching her change from calm to nervousness in a flash. Of she knew it was, but the way Nami was grinning at her madly made her want to skip the whole topic. The two of them decided to have a sleep over at Nami's house since Nami needed help with some of her homework. Nevertheless, instead of talking about the physics homework, the swimmer wanted to talk about the physics of people's emotions.

"So what are you getting for Hikaru?" asked Nami watching the brunette.

"Um, I'll probably make him homemade chocolate." She pondered the idea since making the present seemed to make Hikaru extremely happy. " What about you?"

"Me?" Haruhi arched her eyebrow, watching Nami perk up in her seat. "I don't have a boyfriend to give chocolates."

"Nami…. Don't you think its time to give Kaoru a chance?" The way Haruhi expressed her question; it was if she already had all the answers. As if she could tell that something was becoming evident in the way the swimmer thought of the younger twin.

Nami looked away, placing her elbow on the desk and resting her head in her hand. Give chocolates to Kaoru, she thought. The idea slipped in and out of her head since Tamaki went madly into a rant of the day of love. She shivered at the word "love". Let's keep it light…like was better for her. And yet, she did not know how to describe her relationship with the redhead. If she gave him chocolates, it would mean she had feelings; if she did not give him chocolates, he would probably be upset with her.

"Nami, are you—"

"I don't know!" She dragged her hands through her hair, yelling more than she wanted. "My gosh, there's so much pressure!"

Haruhi did not know if her best friend was becoming angst or just crazy.

--

"Kaoru, are you giving something to Nami for White Day?"

Kaoru, at first, did not look up from his magazine. He actually was dreading the idea of Valentine's Day and White Day. He visualized the possibility of the swimmer forgetting the day, ignoring him, or just declining anymore of his own gifts. He was not pessimistic about his feeling being unrequited; the redhead just felt like nothing was changing. He felt the spark and the glow he expressed when she smiled or touched him, but she barely expressed anything other than a kick or a punch.

"Yo, Kaoru!" The younger brother felt Hikaru's hand on top of his head, making him turn to him.

"Sorry…I don't know yet." He curved his lip. "But what are you getting for Haruhi?"

"Humph, don't know yet." He thought for a moment. "She doesn't like sweet things, so I might just take her to dinner."

Kaoru leaned back into Hikaru's bed, looking at the ceiling. "I'll think of something after Valentine's Day for Nami."

"Just to see if she gets you something?" Kaoru nodded. "Kaoru, I promise she will."

Kaoru glanced over to his brother, giving him a smirk. Ever since Haruhi has been in his brother's life, Hikaru has been changed for the better. Of course, his personality was still a little fussier than Kaoru's, but he was more affectionate and optimistic about things. Usually the younger brother was known for the habit, but he was having problems with a certain amazon.

Kaoru huffed, rolling onto his side to look out the window. "I'm going to bed."

He was happy for Hikaru, he really was. But at this moment, he felt envious. Envious about him getting the girl he wanted.

--

"Gosh, I'm so excited about Valentine's Day."

Nami walked into the classroom with Haruhi, glancing to the girls in their classroom huddling up with one another. Nami was one for curiosity; though she was not known to be nosy…well, not so nosy. She crept over, letting the brunette walk to her desk. Once the swimmer made her way to the girls, her classmates smiled in welcoming manner.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?"

"Tomorrow's Valentine's Day. We're trying to get Sayuri to confess to the guy she likes."

Oh, boy, she thought. Girls were always so animated when it came to Valentine's Day. She would watch girls, running to their significant person within their lives at her other schools, holding a precious gift while confessing their heart's desire. Most of the time, she was not one to swoon for the act—nevertheless; it was a brave thing for women to do. She looked down to her classmate Sayuri, who was busy writing with the other girls slipping suggestions.

"I don't know…I mean I think he seems to have someone else in mind."

"Sayuri, you should be honest to him and yourself!" pronounced one of the girls with the other girls nodding. "I mean he always smiles at you when you notice him and talk to him."

"Yeah! Plus being up front shows how much you really care!"

Sayuri placed her pen on the desk, touching her flushed face. She never had the chance to confess to a boy. Her heart would leap when he looked at her, her voice would disappear when he talked to her, her common sense would evaporate when he looked within her eyes. It was not the fact she thought she was not cute enough—she hired stylists to fix that part of her. Sayuri just did not know how they would react, and she never wanted to feel the worst part—rejection.

"Sayuri-chan, if you want to do it, then you should. Never regret the what if." No one expected Nami to say a word, but it was a valuable maxim.

Sayuri smiled, nodding her head happily for her words. "Thank you, Nami-chan!"

The swimmer smirked, nodding once to the girl. She understood how Sayuri felt—for months, she second-guessed her feelings for Mori. She would watch him carefully, adjust the conversation and their privacy to fit him, but there were times when he took the lead. Even though he did not feel the same, she was utterly proud of the way she handled in telling him her feelings—she had no what ifs, so she could walk away satisfied, which she did.

"Morning."

Nami and the girls turned around, watching the Hitachiin twins walk into the classroom. Once she noticed Kaoru, Nami locked eyes with the younger twin. It became a natural occurrence when she noticed him; his amber eyes glowed brightly when she was in his vision. They would sometimes either stare with smiles accompanied or just proclaim daring comments. Today was no different day.

"Hey, what are you looking at?"

Kaoru blinked at her comment, then feeling annoyed by the tone she expressed. "What? You were looking at me!"

Nami rolled her eyes, folding her arms. "Yeah right."

Kaoru opened his mouth, but he was tired. He just did not want to fight anymore. He barely had enough time to sleep last night since he was thinking so heavily on the upcoming day. Fighting only prolonged her to have feelings for him, he finally thought.

"Whatever." Hikaru watched his brother walk down the classroom, sensing the inner frustration he was projecting. It was becoming harder for his twin to be satisfied by the situation, and he did not blame him. Truly, Nami did not understand the way he wanted to make her feel comfortable within their communication, but she was becoming dense to the idea of his feelings.

Hikaru wanted to say something into his defense, so he looked back to the raven hair girl. But he stopped his mouth from opening and just stared—Nami frowned regrettably, letting her hand touch her chest. She knew she was in the wrong, so he decided against to leave her be.

--

She sat with the twins in her session once more, but it felt different—their conversation kept into simple dialogue, nothing comical or daring. Just simple. Nami peered over to Kaoru, hoping to catch his eyes, but his eyes were either looking at his brother or to the window. Almost as if it was a slap in the face—it somewhat annoyed her.

"Hikaru, may I speak to your brother alone." Both twins sprang up to her slight commanding tone. She looked into her hands within her lap, not wanting them to read her eyes.

"Okay." Hikaru stood, walking over to Haruhi, who seemed to be open from her session.

For a moment, the two people left sat there, not really knowing what to say to the other. Nami looked up to the redhead, observing his form—he was relaxed yet wondering for her words. Their eyes brushed against each other—feeling the uncertainty in the air.

"Are you mad at me?" Her words were simple, and the answer should be simple as well. In truth, he was not. She did nothing out of the norm of their complex life.

"No." He smirked when Nami visually relaxed in her seat.

She scratched her hair, letting her fingers feel the ends of her short hair. "I am sorry for earlier."

"Why? You have not done anything wrong." He relaxed in his seat across from her, sighing. "To tell you the truth, I'm just frustrated."

"With what, me?"

"…It's more than that." It was a lie, but he would not make her feel guilty. He saw her tilt her head, which made him scratch his own hair in nervousness. "Valentine's Day…. We're going to have a lot of girls in here tomorrow."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, most of the time, they come, confessing to us, but all we can do is smile and just give them a flower—in exchange for their feelings."

At first, she did not understand the idea of flowers for feelings. To her, it was ridiculous to think a flower could cover up the unrequited love presented. Yet, she knew, in a way, it was their way of apologizing for the love they cannot commit. It was commendable yet sad.

"Well, sometimes people don't mesh with people." She tried to find the words. "Some times one may like the other, but that can't be helped if it is not equal."

In her words, she was not seeing eye to eye with him at all. She was speaking about the girls who wanted to be with him, but he took it as her own feelings to him. She held a smile, hoping to be of help, but when she peered into his eyes, she could see a hint of damage.

"Kaoru?"

He simply rose from his seat, feeling various emotions within him when he looked at her. Somehow he had to get away—just for the moment. Nami watched him walk away, wondering what really was going on in the younger twin's mind.

--

"I can't believe I ever felt sorry for that jerk!"

Nami sat on the counter of her wide kitchen, punching the air and kicking her feet with all her frustration. She followed after Kaoru, wondering what was wrong, but he ignored her words. She hated when people would not sit and reason with her, especially since she did not understand what she did. She was really trying to understand him, but now she wanted nothing but to punch him.

Haruhi placed the ingredients, pots, cookie sheets, other cooking ware, and a booklet of recipes near the oven/ stove. Of course, she was listening to the taller girl rant about the day's event since she was worried. Worried for Nami or Kaoru, she really did not know. All will be revealed once the swimmer told her side of the story, and Hikaru would tell Kaoru's side later.

"Nami, are you going to make chocolates for Kaoru or not then?" She did not intend to frighten the brunette, but when she made contact with her glare, the brunette shivered. The swimmer, known to be calm, collective, and laidback, had a glower that could almost challenge Kyouya's. Indeed, this world was full of surprises.

Nami jumped from the counter, letting a sigh slip out in the process. "I guess so. But he's been acting really weird lately."

Haruhi began looking over the recipe book, listening intently to her words. "What do you mean by that?"

Nami shrugged. "Well, I mean we don't fight as much because he gives up, he won't look at me, plus he's mad at me for something I don't even know."

The puzzles were there and Haruhi could see the pieces. As she was lining up the ingredients for the both of them, she was lining up the puzzle pieces to the problem. She needed more evidence, more implication.

"Well, tell me what happened before he got up and walked out the club today?"

"He was telling me about what you guys are doing tomorrow with roses for the girls, and all I said was that sometimes, some people don't mesh together."

Haruhi stopped, gazed at Nami. "What did you mean by that?"

"Well, he said he was frustrated—I was telling him sometimes people just can't be together if the other person does not feel the same way…."

Her voice trailed off as Haruhi just gave her a smirk. Bingo, sometimes people should think before they say their thoughts. Nami did not intend him to think she was denying him. In fact, she started to really…. Shit

"I like him…."

Haruhi, at first did not hear her words, but rather read her lips. She said it so softly, but her lips sprung out her declaration. The brunette just smiled, poked the girl beside her.

"Well, since you do, shouldn't you be excited about making him chocolates?" Haruhi asked.

Nami felt her cheeks blush, realizing that Haruhi knew how she felt all along.

"W-well, I mean—"

"You should be lucky." Persuasion was the key now. "Kaoru has liked you since probably you came to the school; he's been very patient."

"What do you mean?"

The swimmer gazed at the shorter girl, placing the ingredients into a large pot. She was hoping that now, since the puzzle was almost done, Nami would understand how Kaoru felt completely.

"Look, remember when I first talked to you about the twins, both mischievous and out there sometimes?" Nami nodded, she continued. "It was easier for me to understand Hikaru because Kaoru explained to me how he was—or at least pointed it out subtly."

Nami listened carefully, taking her own ingredients and placing into her pot.

"You see Kaoru is smarter than a lot of people give him credit. He is calm and knows about other people's feelings before the person knows." She stirred in some ingredients before continuing. "He knew it would be hard for you to start liking him because you liked Mori, so he took the harder way—by fighting and teasing with you."

Nami did not understand. "That doesn't make sense."

"Yes it does—he was teasing with you like a friend. The way I teased Tamaki." She sighed. "I mean, he understood his feelings, sacrificing his will to impress you by making you feel comfortable with friendly encounters. In all honesty, do you like when you two fight?"

Fight was too big of word for what they did. Sure she would hit him, scowl when they were in a heated discussion, but she would not call it a fight. I mean, when they would tease one another, she would inwardly laugh at the things they said, smirk when she felt she won, and apologized when they both went too far. In all thinking, it was fun; they were not trying to be the better fighter, but it was the way they communicated—it was something different than she ever treated anyone else.

"Be honest, you like it when he fights with you before conversing with anyone else."

Nami shrugged, stirring her melted chocolate in her pot. "Yeah, to be honest, it is fun, and I never really got the idea why he would do that."

"I guess it was something special between you guys." Haruhi gave her own shrug. "Kaoru acts differently with you than anyone else I've ever seen."

She did not know why, but Nami smiled happily hearing it from the brunette. She knew he did, but to hear it from someone else was actually nice—as if he did not care if others knew she was special. Haruhi peered over to the taller girl, finding a small shade of scarlet on her face.

"Now, if only a certain girl just told Kaoru how she feels, maybe he would not be so resistant."

Nami just puffed up her cheeks, wondering why Haruhi was being so pushy with her relationship with the younger twin. Wait, she was the same with her and the two boys who pined over the brunette. She was trying to help her, to push her lightly to an answer. Haruhi was only trying to save the heartbreak and frustration for Kaoru while identify the inner confusion within Nami…. Typical best friends think alike.

--

"Happy Valentine's Day!"

The girls' cheered happily, gracing their eyes to the beauty within the room. Flowers, exotic and colorful, flourished along the room, decorative red and pink patterns laid on the table and the walls, and the boys wore their uniforms with red roses pinned to their blazers. If no one remembered what the day was, the location brought alive the special day.

"Come, my princess!" Tamaki waved his hand outward to the clubroom. "The day is yours; filled with gratitude and appreciation for wanting to be with us on this day."

Many of the girls nodded happily, feeling their faces flushed when each host bowed to their presences. Each girl made their way to the host of their liking, holding onto their gifts for them. Laughter was given from Tamaki, who was delighted at the increasing amount of girls in his favor. Hunny excitedly smiled while letting the girls place their hands on his head thoughtfully; he knew that his tummy would full with the chocolate he would be given. Mori glanced down to the girls who were staring at him shyly, giving them a slight smirk to assure he would be kind. Kyouya smirked when girls went up to him, he knowing that with the right persuasion, he would be able to get them to buy some host merchandise. Haruhi smiled, taking the gifts from the girls, wondering what she would do with so many boxes of chocolates. With the twins, they smiled, wrapping their arms with one another as the girls fluttered around them in awe. Everything started out to be nothing but pure entertainment and admiration.

"Kaoru, someone has something to tell you."

The twins found themselves not alarmed at all by the lines, knowing confession would be done. Kaoru unwrapped his arms around his brother while the girls circled around the particular girl who had something to say. The short, raven hair Sayuri stood, holding tightly to her red ribbon box gift.

"Sayuri-san, you have something to say to me." His voice, so graceful and comforting made the girl brush her chestnut eyes to his amber. Her cheeks reddened, finding something so alluring when he spoke her name.

Sayuri felt her mouth move, but her words were not being said. There were too many people, she thought. She had the courage, but not with everyone around them. The redhead felt her thoughts, which he replied with taking her hand. It was quick and simple, while the other girls just stared in activity.

"Would you like to speak in private?" He lifted her chin up to him, letting his eyes assure her of his attention.

"Y-yes. In the hallway, please." He nodded, feeling that it was best for the situation. Something so innocent and pure should not be placed in voyeur. She pulled his hand to the direction of the door, feeling utterly in happiness to how things were playing. As they came up to the door, the door was open by a certain person—Nami.

Nami's eyes looked to the blushing girl who just smiled at her. At first she did not understand the situation until she remembered the conversation she had with Sayuri and the girls. So Kaoru is the one, she concluded.

"Excuse us." She would not have felt anything wrong if it was Sayuri who spoke the words. But the red head, the one she felt herself falling for, spoke to her. Her eyes brushed against his, but once she looked to him, the two passed her, walking into the hallway. She wanted to look back, she wanted to say something; but she could not. In the end, she felt damage.

As Nami walked in, the Host Club members observed her casual face furrowed into something of an expression between a sad frown and an angry scowl. While the girls began to flourish around the group, Haruhi was the only one to break away to see her. She walked to her friend who sat in chair away from everyone.

"Nami, are you—"

"He said 'excuse me'…He did not even say my name." She felt herself look down to the gift in her hand. She made this for him, wanting to be honest to him today, but he pushed her aside, wanting to hear the confession of another girl.

"Nami, it's his job," whispered Haruhi, squatting down to her.

"I know, but for once, can I be selfish? Can I be the one to be upset?"

"No you can't." The two girls looked up to see Hikaru standing there. He was done with her with the way she acted. Of course, he never had ill will to Nami, thinking she was practically a similar prototype of his girlfriend, but she was being foolish.

"You've been selfish this whole time."

Nami stood up, letting go of Haruhi's comforting hand. " Excuse me—"

"No, you sit down and hear this!" His voice was loud, which alarmed everyone in the room, even the other girls. Nami stood for a moment, going against his words, but slowly dropped back down to her chair. Haruhi wanted to speak, but she knew how much hurt he felt when Kaoru was upset. With that she let her boyfriend talk.

"Kaoru is hurting inside. It's not like he will tell you when something's wrong, he'll always place his feelings aside." He sighed for a moment, letting his anger and tone soften. "You have been here for four months, and four months he has been thinking of you. Of course he won't say it unless you ask, but he has always watched out for you."

Hikaru got on his knees, touching the girl's hand. He pierced his eyes with hers, hoping she was listening. Kaoru was special to him; the younger twin had always helped him, needed him, and ensured him that he was happy. Nowadays, he watched his brother keep his usual smirk and comments, but when he was in Hikaru's room, he was always second-guessing his feelings. He was having problems, and even though Kaoru didn't ask, Hikaru wanted to help—even if he had to play the bad guy.

"Kaoru likes you a lot—he teases you so he can be near you, he is concern for you when you're sad, and he doesn't push his feelings on you because he is more concern for you than himself."

Nami widened her eyes, feeling utterly foolish that she was mad at him. He really gave her so much, and she was neglecting him because of Mori then herself. She lowered her head, but Hikaru patted her hand before rising from the ground.

"Thank you, Hikaru."

With that Nami rose from her chair, gripping onto her gift for the redhead. She felt herself walk hastily to the door, then felt legs picked up the pace with a jog. She had to see him.

--

Kaoru stood, looking at the girl with sad but treasuring eyes. Sayuri touched her chest, trying to hold the pieces of her heart. She told him everything she felt, but he declined. Warmth, he felt her place herself close to him, nuzzling her head onto his chest. She knew she had lost, but for a moment, she wanted to pretend. She wanted to feel how it could be if he accepted.

"Sayuri?"

"Please, just for a moment." She tugged on his blazer; a sigh was let out of her mouth as she felt him wrap his arms around her. This was the moment she would remember—when she felt his heart beat with hers.

"I'm sorry—"

"Hey, it's okay." Sayuri looked up to him, smiling as if the past happening did not happen. "You did not feel the same, but you let me hold you. That was sweet of you."

Kaoru smiled, rubbing his hair. "I did not do anything really."

Sayuri separated from the host, practically smiling to know he really cared. It was not rejection she felt—she felt actually proud of the step she took, and even though she already knew the outcome, she did something she never thought she could.

"I'm glad I listened to Nami-chan.," she spoke.

"Huh?" Kaoru did not know if he understood.

"Nami-chan told me to be honest with myself and not carry what ifs in my head." She smiled, but he frowned. "Oh, don't think she knew it was you! She didn't."

"Wait, I don—"

"Kaoru, we all can tell. In class, you're always staring at her." They stood for moment; he was blushing, she was smiling, pressing a hand on his chest." You love her."

"I wouldn't call it love…."

Before they could continue their talk, footsteps tapped within their audible range. The two looked toward the other end of the halls, observing a person running toward them—a tall person, with shoulder length hair, with a blazer and short skirt outfit.

"Nami?"

Nami rushed through the hall, finding the boy standing quite close to the shorter girl. She stopped several feet away from them, finding something to say. Sayuri was so close to him, she thought. She did not want to be resentful, she did not want to feel betrayed, she did not want to put Kaoru in the wrong, but the scene she was looking at tempted the thought of it.

"Did I…interrupt something?" Her eyes pierced Sayuri's hand, which both followed her gaze. Kaoru jumped back, feeling the worst, but Sayuri knew better. Her words were indicating an emotion that never occurred within the swimmer at this school—jealousy.

"So it seems that she is as well." Sayuri smiled, letting her words linger in both their mind. Though Kaoru was the one who understood, she smiled over to Nami, who just arched her eyebrow. "Thank you, Nami-chan."

Before Nami could say a word, Sayuri brushed passed her, humming as she walked away. The two left watched their classmate stroll through the hallway, leaving the two to finish something that has not been investigated for a while. Nami was the one to look at the other; her emerald eyes floated, searching for something.

"What did you come running in the hall for?" asked Kaoru, placing his hands in his pocket. "You looked like a crazed lunatic!"

Nami felt her body move forward, wanting to punch him for his words, but she did not. She looked toward him, feeling relieved, collected, and embarrassed. Her fingers trailed along her gold and red wrapped gift, feeling the silky decorative covering she used. She ran to find him, to tell him words she knew she wanted to say, but she did not know where to start.

Kaoru watched her, wondering the thought running through the raven hair girl's head. When he saw her running, somehow he felt something inside him wanting to push away Sayuri. Sure, he was not that kind of guy, but he wanted to spend this day with her.

"Kaoru, you're such a jerk sometimes." Boy, it was not starting out right, Kaoru thought. "You tease and make fun of what I wear, how I look, my naivety, my clumsiness, and my abusive reactions."

"Yeah, well, I can't help it—" a hand came to his mouth, ceasing him to speak. When he looked to her, she carried a sense of declaration needing to be heard, so the redhead decided to keep quiet.

"You do all of this, so sometimes I think that you don't like me, that your feelings went away." She felt herself want to stop, but she continued. "I'm dense, Kaoru. I can always tell when other people like one another, but when it comes to me, I can never tell."

She felt herself shiver, grabbing her arms around herself, but her gaze never waver, her voice never waver. From this point on, she had to be true to him and herself.

"I like you." The way it rolled off her tongue, it surprised both of them. "I like you very much, Kaoru. I have for a while—maybe a part of me liked you when I liked Mori, because when you gave me that present and kiss during the Christmas party, I saw you differently."

She licked her lips, recollecting words to say and see if he was listening—he nodded for her continuation.

"I am not going to lie; I thought you were kidding when you said you liked. We were always arguing." She smiled. "But a lot of people informed me you did it to be near me and make me feel comfortable."

At this moment, her hand crept to his, taking it as she let her thumb trail across the back of it.

"I am sorry I did not notice how much I was hurting you lately; I can be really dense. But from now on, I want us to sit down and talk, confess when we're mad at each other, laugh when we did something stupid, and tell each other just how we feel." He gripped her hand. "I want you to be honest with the way you want to treat me, show me how much you care, and just know that I feel the same."

At this moment, she felt herself push the gift to him, not letting her eyes examine him. The gift pressed against Kaoru's stomach, but he simply took it without thinking of the pressure placed within the contact. He observed the rich scarlet and gold pattern, so soft. His fingers slowly unwrapped it, letting the fabric tantalize his touch. Inside a box, a large heart shape chocolate, with red chocolate icing.

Kaoru could not feel anything except the smirk and scarlet growing on his face. He did not know what to say, but once she looked up at him with a wondering expression, he pulled her near. She felt a small mumble escape from her mouth, but kept within his arms. Warmth, the feeling she felt when nestling her head on his shoulder and his arm gripping her close. She felt lost into his arms for a moment.

"I am grateful." His words whispered in her voice. "I thought you were going to make me go crazy because I did not know if you cared or not."

She looked up at him, beaming the sweetest smile she ever displayed. "I know—but I guess I was scared after the whole Mori-senpai thing…I wanted to be sure."

She did not know why, but once her words were said, she crept back to him, letting her lips brush against his. She pressed into his mouth, allowing her lips to part his. She found her hands cupping his face, and he found his arms around her once again. Once the kiss was done, she pulled back, feeling her cheeks were redder than they have ever been, which mirrored the redhead before her.

"That was my first kiss…" She smirked, finding his eyes. "But it won't be the last.

"I hope not." She laughed.

"Come on, let's go see the others." She found herself, letting her hand try to reach his, but he was already finding her touch, entwining their fingers with one another. Nami looked back, finding a smile on his face, which made her smile back. Maybe this time around, she would be happy.

--

"What is this about?"

The two watched everyone clapping around them, cheering more or less. Once they stepped back into the clubroom, an explosion of cheers and sparkles welcomed them, scaring the wits out of Kaoru and Nami.

"Oh rapture, I knew today was going to be such a wondrous day." Tamaki stood between the first years, wrapping an arm around both of their shoulders. "Why, when I was given a package today by Rebecca-san, I was engulfed in happiness, but now that you two are a couple—Buddha is so kind to us all."

Both Nami and Kaoru simultaneously either pinched or hit the blonde president away, finding space was needed. Once the redhead was rid of Tamaki, Hikaru jumped to his brother's side, wrapping his head into a headlock.

"Hikaru—"

"Way to go, Kaoru, and on Valentine's Day!" He rubbed his brother's head while Haruhi took a noticeable side to Nami as she shook the girl's hand.

"Wait, how did you guys know what was going to happen?" asked Nami.

Once her words were said, Mori and Hunny were in arm lock with a giddy Sayuri. She kept a smile on her face, blushing when she looked up at Mori. As Nami and Kaoru looked at her, she winked at them and spoke, "It's Valentine's Day, of course."

Nami looked over to Kaoru, finding him in a wide smirk. Everyone knew—they all knew the time was coming for them except themselves. How ironic for the both of them. He shook his head in thinking, but he snapped out of his contemplation when he felt Nami's hand. Thank Buddha for Valentine's Day.

--

A/N: Yay!! Oh, you knew it was coming…Man, now I feel like a big rock was lifted off of me because I really did not know when I was gonna get them together. Hope you like the chapter, but more is coming soon!


	15. A Tale of Three Siblings

A/N: I must apologize for the somewhat lateness

A/N: I must apologize for the somewhat lateness!! I was writing this chapter, and it just was not fitting into my expectation. Nevertheless, I had to start over (sighs), but hopefully this chapter will make it up.

So Enjoy!

Chapter 15

A Tale of Three siblings

Captivating, she thought, finishing the latest sketch of fashion. Her dark blue eyes fluttered at the girl captured within her sketch—her sketch of the girl's long hair flowed with the identical breeze of her green bubble dress, short sleeve with ribbons caressing her waist and chest. She had longed to capture the truest desire of her perfect dress to start her collection, and now it was done. The dark blue eye girl squealed in excitement, grasping the sketchbook close to her chest. Her dream so close, she could taste the sweet nectar of her endless future.

"Marsala, have you packed yet?"

The girl sitting on her bed began drawing another sketch, ignoring her older sister taking a step within her room. Of course, she heard the message, but she simply was not looking forward to the trip. It was not her choice, of course. If she had a choice, she would confine herself in her room, sketching and sewing all the patterns of designs she could think of. Simplistic yet adorable.

"Marsala, I am not going to ask you again."

The girl on the bed looked onto her sister, not fearing the arched eyebrow she was expressing. She felt the glare and heard the scowl of disapproval, but the younger sister just stared at her, as if she did not know why she was there.

"Chianti, what are you doing in my room?" The older girl shook her head, feeling the growth of an instant headache.

"Marsala, can't you be on time with anything! It is not fair to Sherry and I if we promptly secure our things for our travel tomorrow." Chianti huffed, placing her hands on her hip. "Busy with another design, I see."

"Yep, it looks fantastic! Wanna see?" She jumped out of her bed, shoving the sketchbook into her sister's hand. The older girl carefully examined the sketch, imagining the liability of her persuading her sister to get her things together, but actually melted into the concept of the drawing. The layered bubble dress looked light, simplistic, yet held an enchanting feeling to it. Something that she felt before.

"This feels like playing Violin Concerto in G minor." She sighed, placing a small hand on her sister's head. "This is very wonderful."

"Aww, thanks, sis."

"What's going on?" A smaller girl came up to see her sisters. Wondering about the commotion so much, she forgot she was stirring a batter within a bowl. She walked within the room, carrying a wide smile as she continued to figure out the item in Chianti's hand.

"Sherry, are you making a dessert at this hour of the night?" The shorter girl stopped in front of her sisters, feeling anxiety reach her stomach.

"Oh dear, is it really that late?" She puffed up her mouth, stirring the batter vigorously. "I have been cooking since after I packed. I'm just so nervous about tomorrow, so I cooked some Italian desserts for tomorrow's trip."

"How much did you make this time?"

"Well, I made an Amaretti cake, caramel-apple cake, cream puffs, heart tarts, and I'm starting a big load of Struffoli…. Do you think that will be enough?

The two sisters stared at one another, looking at the innocent, curious face of their sister. So small, so pure, and yet so dim, they both thought. Of course, all three knew they would be gone for only several days within Japan, something all three were nervous and excited about (Though some were more excited than others).

"I think that will be fine, Sherry." Chianti bent down to the smaller girl, displaying the design Marsala made. "Marsala made a beautiful design again— another collection to our wardrobe!"

Sherry observed the sketch, stopping her hand from stirring her ingredients. "Little Marsala made this? Oh, how cute! I adore it, like a cream puff or a yummy chocolate torte."

The middle child licked her lips, pretending to see a delicious torte in her vision, though Marsala decided to snap her fingers to bring her sister back to reality.

"All right, all right. Now that we looked at your beautiful sketch, how about you pack for the trip, Marsala?" The youngest sister took her sketchbook back, falling back onto her bed as she heard her sister trying to regain her attention. She did not understand why everything was changing so much or why they had to search for someone who was not searching for them. Nevertheless, her Papa asked them to, so she could only accept his request.

--

Kyouya looked within his files, the three daughters of Vincent Florio, a prominent wine maker within Sicily, Italy. Their family wine company has surpassed various older wine companies with eccentric, alluring taste, which has been commented within his papers. Of course, his father's company contacted Florio's company for soothing wine as medicine to many of their patients and wine to lavish in their home and parties, but to think his father assigned him to escort the ladies around their city and school. Yet only one of the girls was young enough to be a potential student to the Ouran High School. Truly, he never questioned his father's orders, but seriously, this might the time to contemplate the usage of his service.

"Kyouya, I brought the flowers!" Tamaki ran up to his junior friend, sniffing the aroma of the plants within his hand.

"These are the deepest red roses we can buy?" He looked them over, halting Tamaki's nose from sniffing anymore. "They will do."

"They'll make any girl flutter with happiness, Kyouya." Tamaki smiled, noticing the rest of the Host Club member's walk out from the school. It was the afternoon time for students to leave, which the club would already start their hosting sessions, but today they had guests. Each member had a job to do to the arrival of the girls, which Kyouya underlined the role of each member for the past couple of days before their arrival. Everything had to be perfect…especially if he had to establish more proof to his father's blessing for his company.

"I wonder what the girls are like?" asked Haruhi looking over to her shrugging boyfriend.

"I heard Italian girls were loud," spoke Hikaru looking over his shoulder to see his brother nod in agreement.

"Yeah, and the seductress of the European country," added Kaoru as their leader handed them a bundle of flowers.

"That's only rumored, of course." The twins shrugged their shoulders to Haruhi, brushing her warning eyes at them. One cannot judge their guest by rumors.

"I'm excited to see who they will be!" Hunny hopped down from Mori's shoulders.

"I hope they bring Italian food with them." Haruhi could not help but let her elbow "slip" into the impact of Hikaru's stomach.

"Hey, where's Nami, Haruhi?" The blonde looked through the last of the students leaving the schoolyard, trying to see the sign of the swimmer.

"Nami will meet with us later." Kaoru was the one to speak, being the one who saw the swimmer last. "She's meeting with the swimming club."

The group nodded their head, thinking that it was interesting enough the reply was from the younger twin. Nevertheless, they would not say a word of it, but their smiles might give only a little implication.

As soon as they were done with the idea, the group witnessed a large, black limo rolling within the schoolyard. The Host Club lined themselves with one another, the twins and Tamaki holding bundle of roses, as the vehicle stopped several feet in front of them. As soon as the limo stopped, the driver got out, opening the door for the girls. The first girl drew out, tall and slender, her wavy hair touching her back, her glasses hugging her nose as she peered to the group with her caramel eyes. The second girl, short with a small frame, bounced out, her curly raven hair touched the tip of her shoulders as her big deep chestnut eyes looked around to the group, leaving only a sincere smile for them to see. The last girl, tall and curvy, scooted out the limo, holding delicate dark blue eyes to glance toward the group, her wavy black hair wrapped in a elegant yet fun messy bun.

The three sisters stood, wearing identical designed short sleeved, bubble dresses, though different in color and presentation. The girl with a messy bun had black leggings with her blue one, the first girl wore a long sleeve open button lavender cover up to her lilac one, and the smaller girl wore matching green bows and gloves to her dress. Together yet unique.

"Welcome, Florio princesses." Tamaki pressed his lips lightly to each girl's hand, placing his bundle of flowers into the tallest girl. "We are here to serve and show you only hospitality…. and yet maybe more."

The oldest took her flowers, gazing at the blonde's smile. She felt his hand touch hers once more, but gave it no other thought when the twins gave flowers to her other sisters.

"Thank you for the flowers. I am Chianti Florio, age 18."

The smaller girl, cupping her giggling mouth with her glove hand as she watched the surprise in the blonde once Chianti gave the blonde Italian welcoming kisses to his cheeks.

"Sherry…." The younger girl poked the smaller girl beside her.

"Sorry!" Her girlish voice squeaked out as she bowed once she saw her mistake. "I am Sherry Florio, age 17."

She looked to Hikaru, curtseying for the flowers, planting the small kisses of her country to his cheeks.

"The name's Marsala Florio, age 15." She kissed Kaoru's cheeks, smiling slightly at watching his cheeks brighten.

"My sister is looking to acquire the knowledge of the school," informed Chianti as the limo driver presented her violin case. Mori took the opportunity to take the instrument within his hand.

"Why yes, we are looking to place our little Marsala into a nice school to further her education." Sherry snapped her fingers, walking over to the limo. Once she saw the baskets of her desserts, she grabbed the smallest one for herself while Mori took the other three baskets. "I made some Italian desserts for the occasion."

"Really? Any cakes?" Hunny hopped to meet the small girl, letting his curiosity take over. He peered closer to her basket until Mori yanked the small blonde back. Sherry covered her smile with her hand, glancing at the pouting Hunny.

"I assure you, you will find what you are looking for within Ouran High School." Kyouya smiled, brushing his steel eyes with Marsala's dark blue, making the Italian girl blush slightly.

"Whatever." She shrugged, fighting the redness flourishing on her face, but her sisters saw it loud and clear. Something they never seen on their little sister's face.

--

"Cake! What kind is this!" Hunny hopped into his seat beside Sherry, picking up his fork. She placed the dessert she made on the table, hoping to find everyone interested in her gift. Her smile widened when she looked up to see the blonde senior excitedly observe the numerous delicious things in front of him.

"This is Amaretti cake and then we have a caramel-apple cake!" She pointed to each one, placing a slice on his plate.

Hunny felt like he wanted to cry in happiness, but instead a slight drool crept out his mouth. "They look so yummy!"

He took his fork, taking a piece of the Amaretti cake and stuffing the piece into his mouth. He had many cakes in his life, but the taste of orange liqueur and the sweetness of the chocolate cream tickled his taste buds, filling his pleasure of the food. He licked his lips, smiling toward the small frame chef.

"This is really good! Better than anything my chefs make." Sherry gazed at the blonde boy eating her Amaretti cake; she felt like melting in her sheer happiness, but instead she blushed with a sweet smile to him.

"This is very good!" spoke Haruhi placing a taste of her own cake in her mouth, which everyone in his or her own way agreed to her statement.

"Sherry is a natural to the art of pastries." Chianti sipped her tea, gazing to her smiling sister. "But it does help that Papa sent our dear sister to study under different cuisine schools within our country and France."

"I want to be a pastry chef and have my own shop." Clearly, the middle child chimed in pride identifying her goal. "I'm not as bright as my dear sisters, but cooking has been a hobby for me always."

"If your other food is like this food, then you'll be a very successful woman!" Hunny rammed pieces of assorted desserts into his mouth, tasting and enjoying each one as Sherry tried to hide her blushing and her wide smile with her hand.

"Mitsukuni…" The smaller senior looked up to his cousin, clearly keeping a smile on his face. "You're eating too quickly."

The blonde senior slowly nodded his head, chewing on the last piece he had in his mouth. Mori only smirked slightly when Hunny looked up for his approval to his sudden motion.

Chianti glanced over to the tall senior, quite alarmed at how he commanded so diligently to the shorter senior and Hunny replied. Sometimes if she had that simple obedience with Marsala, she would feel more relieved than she really did. Maybe she should take notes on this tall, mysterious….handsome boy, she thought.

"So what do you do, Chianti-san?" asked Tamaki slipping back in his seat.

She quickly fell back from her thoughts to reality. "Me? Oh, I play the violin. I'm hoping to become a sucessful violinist."

Tamaki perked up in his seat, finding himself quite amused and hoping at the same time. It had been years when he was accompanied with a violinist. He looked to her violin case, then motioning his head to his piano.

"You play the piano?" Chianti felt herself becoming happy quickly, but she tried to suppress the feeling with a small cough. "I mean, would you like to accompany me in a piece then?"

Everyone watched to see the blonde president hop happily out of his seat. He held his hand out, letting the older Florio girl take his hand. She felt her hand grip tightly to her case before following him to his piano, which made the others sit to listen. Of course, the twins and Marsala sat in their chair rolling their eyes to their respectable person who they knew wanted the spotlight.

"I have sheet music for "Meditation from Thaïs"." She took her music out, placing it on top of the piano for her and him. Tamaki quickly took his music, sight reading it while she prepared her violin.

Once the two began to play, the atmosphere within the room changed. The Host members watched the two musicians sweep into an enchanted trance, swaying when they felt the note. Tamaki kept his eyes on the music, drifting within the tune as his eyes glowed in peace to the notes being played. Chianti felt her hair breeze when her body drifted and sway with the heavenly sound of her strings. She looked down to the music a couple of times, but felt her fingers guide her into the music that she felt and knew.

Mori did not know why, but he felt his gaze never leaving the swaying girl, letting her bow guide smoothly on the strings. Her delicate, slender fingers loosely kept the bow in her hands, but the notes were percise. He found himself enchanted, brushing his gaze at the oldest Frolio girl play, her hair drifting with her movement as well as her delicate dress. Usually, he would not have any deep thought to the vision of a girl, but he deciphered the silhoutee of Chianti simply through her music—precise, elegant, alluring. He felt himself gulp….never had he felt this.

Once she pulled her bow away, Chianti heard the last note play within the air, dancing with the last note of the piano. She opened her eyes, glancing to the blushing Tamaki. Both trusted the other in their playing, which both executed a wondrous version of the song. They both shared a bow as the others clapped.

"Very pretty, wouldn't you say, Marsala-chan?" Kyouya was not surprised when the girl slightly perked up in her seat at his voice. Somehow the youngest Florio girl was glancing up at him many times, writing or doodling in her book. He felt her first glance once the music started, but he did not want to react. Now, he was somewhat curious about what she was writing in her book.

"Oh, um, yeah. I'm used to hearing Chianti play, so it isn't such a big deal," replied Marsala placing the book in her lap.

She looked up to the junior, glancing up at the smile he was expressing to her. So cool, so casual; she felt her cheeks glow once more. Dammit.

"So what did you write in the book?" asked Kyouya.

"Huh?" She pulled the sketchbook to her chest, hoping he did not see her creation.

"Did little Marsala make another sketch?" Sherry peered beside her sister, though Marsala shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"It's nothing."

Marsala did not notice Chianti joining them, especially since she was on her other side. Chianti pulled the book from her sister, observing what type of creation she had.

"Lei è tale dolore!" Marsala slipped into her native tongue, grabbing for her sketchbook, but Chianti teasingly jumped back.

"It is rude to talk in your native tongue when others may not understand," teased the grinning Chianti.

Marsala jumped out of her seat, grabbing for her sketchbook but fell short. It was a simple game for the two, but everyone watched, hoping an argument would not start.

"Dear, I wish those two would get it together," whined Sherry as she placed another piece of cake on Hunny's plate.

"They are usually like this?" asked Hikaru.

Sherry sighed softly, but widened a smile on her face. "At least they haven't started to hit one another."

Before another reply, a crash was heard behind them, which made the group look. The door was opened, seeing a bag trapped in its way, but the real sight was the two Florio sisters wrapped together on the floor with the newcomer, Nami.

"Yay, Nami-chan is here!" Hunny hopped from his chair as everyone followed to the scene.

Nami was the first to pull up in a sitting position. She clearly came from the swimming pool, her hair still a little damp, hoping to get a glimpse of the new prospective students. She never really thought that she would actually get trampled by them as well. When she looked to the two girls, the Florio sisters were pulling on the sketchbook, still in their fighting mode.

"Nami….you need a hand?" The swimmer looked up, seeing the smirk on her boyfriend's face.

"You think you can make a crack about this?" Her cheeks slightly redden when he took the liberty of helping her up. He pulled her to his side, placing his arm around her shoulder.

Once Nami stood from the crash, the others circled around the sisters. Chianti gave a great pull, releasing Marsala's grip on the book. What was the big fuss, thought the older sister. Chianti stood up, glancing to the sketch—It was a picture of Kyouya, wearing a casual yet detailed design button up, long sleeve blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearm and a pair of navy blue baggy shorts. She wondered why she really had to fight her younger sister to just glimspe at her nice work.

"I like the design, Marsala." She threw the book back to her younger sister. "You should not be so embarrassed."

"Nobody asked for your opinion." She held her sketchbook close again, then looked back to the newcomer. "Sorry about our rudeness."

Chianti noticed that the previous incident did, in fact, cause someone to be hit to the groud.Chianti was known for her order in the family, and yet she caused strife. She bowed deeply. "I'm sorry for our disturbance. Please accept my fullest apology."

Nami waved her hand in their directions. "Don't worry about it, it was an accident." She bowed slightly, holding out her hand to them. " My name is Nami Yamazaki."

The three sisters looked at the girl, clearly letting the name rest within their head.

"Yamazaki, as in Kumiko Yamazaki's daughter?" Nami felt herself slowly nod her head, observing the three girls.

"You know my mother?" The sisters smiled, nodding—well, Marsala stared at the the girl.

"Your mother has been to Italy many times," spoke Marsala with the other two sisters watching her. She shrugged. "She does gigs for Papa's company."

"Her talent is like no other when it comes to dancing." Chianti smiled to the blushing Nami.

"Chianti, do you think it is time?" Sherry walked over to her sister's side. "I mean, the limo will be here in a couple minutes."

The oldest sister nodded her head, glancing to the clock hanging on the wall. "We must returning to our summer home."

"You have a summer house here?" asked Tamaki.

"Yeah, it's really our Papa's when he comes to Japan for business." Marsala rolled her eyes at her sister's words. "But we would surely appreciate if you would accompany us to dinner tomorrow at our home."

"Oh, yes, please do!" Sherry was the one to speak, clearly glancing to the blonde senior. "I'll be cooking some authentic Italian food, so if you could, please come."

Hunny glanced to the blushing girl, feeling the slight touch of her hand on his. He could not help but to nod to her slight plea; it would be rude to skip out on a delicious meal prepared by a guest.

"Of course we will come." Kyouya's eyes brushed against Marsala's. The younger girl fell back, pressing her sketchbook closer to her. She kept it so close to her, he now had a higher level of curiousity.

--

Kyouya looked over the group—supposedly he brought up the idea to dress semi formal, which was not the problem for the Host club members. He, however, did not trust the likes of Haruhi and Nami—two very cute girls not aware of the beauty they could glamor with the right clothes—their choice of outfits were sloppy, needing the help of others. So the vice president took it on himself to find the right outfits for the girls to wear

"Kyouya, are you sure, I could not dress as a boy?" Haruhi gripped her hands together, observing the calm pink of the flowing dress she wore.

"Me, too. My maids would have at least left me something of mine to wear." Nami puffed her mouth, glancing down to the thin strap emerald dress with a black lace around her waist.

"These are important people. I will not have the likes of you two messing with their idea of our school having fashion challenged students." His reason was bizarre to the two girls, both eyeing him with a warning gaze to the comment, but he retaliated quickly. His icy glance always made anyone feel the trail of shivers down their back.

"Now, now, you two. You both look so cute!" Once the words rolled off his tongue and his hand grazed their backs, the twins simply pushed the blonde away, taking their girlfriends to their side. Tamaki whimpered—he was only trying to soothe the atmosphere.

Once the group finally retrieved the rest of their comments, they made their way to the door of the summer house. Of course, calling it a summer was a slight joke. The land spread wide, the home appeared large with lights glimmering through the windows. It was as if the house could have been the prominent home of Florio.

"Ciao gli ospiti." The three Florio sisters stood before the opened door, holding glasses of wine. Chianti took the first steps to the guest, gripping the side of her cream and black strapless evening gown, which touched the ground she stepped on. Sherry fluffed her big gold bow on the side of her head, which matched her gold halter-top dress that bubbled from her laced waist to the tip of her knees. Marsala looked down to the group, sipping wine as her hand touched the silk of her thin strap navy blue dress, which ruffled to the tip of her calves.

"Whoa, they went all out," whispered Hikaru to Haruhi.

"Okay, now I feel a little bit better about what I'm wearing," whispered Nami to a chuckling Kaoru.

Chianti took each person, kissing slightly to his or her cheeks. " You all look so nice. My, Nami, your dress is so elegant."

"Me? Yours is very gorgeous."

"In my country, we must look our best to dine and wine with our guests." All of them noticed the slight redness of her cheeks—if she did not have the evidence of wine in her hands, they would note something weird about the girl. "Besides, since you all witnessed Sherry and my talents, we had to show off Marsala's."

The group looked up to the youngest sister, finding her arching her eyebrow by their glance. So, she was a designer. The looks had an original from, but at the same time, their wardrobe seemed to reveal a small sense of maturity in the work. Something they would have never guessed Marsala would deliver.

"Chianti, don't you want to invite our guests inside?" chimed Marsala, grabbing for Sherry's glass of wine to replace her empty glass.

"Yes, yes, come in!" Before they even noticed her mistake, Mori took his speed to catch Chianti from slipping. She gripped her glass tightly, slightly chiming in laughter as she felt herself in Mori's arms. In an instant, their eyes met—her naked, caramel eyes with his dark eyes.

"Are you alright, Chianti-san?" asked Tamaki taking the side of Mori.

The senior helped her back to her feet, Chianti feeling more scarlet appear on her face. She was becoming an idiot in front of everyone. This is what she gets for being nervous and having drinks before they arrived, she thought.

"I'm fine." She smiled apologetically to them, nodding to Mori for her behavior. "Please come in."

--

"Hunny, come out with me to the balcony!"

Sherry ran outside, looking at the stars within the sky. She always appreciated the simple nature of the environment. Of course, it brought such a romantic atmosphere, but she enjoyed seeing the phenomenon of the Earth. It was becoming the end of the night, everyone stuffed from dinner, but Sherry wanted more time.

"Sher-chan!" Hunny ran to her side at the railing, feeling the food in his stomach move. "Dinner was very good!"

"You really think so?" She watched him smile at her calmly, making her mirror his expression.

Once standing beside one another, Hunny noticed the height difference—only a couple of inches and they would match. Though he was used to a girl being their age way taller, she was only a few inches away. In a way, it made him pleased.

"It was really good." Hunny pouted for a moment, feeling himself becoming a little upset. "It's too bad you're leaving tomorrow."

Sherry did not know why, but her heart fluttered for the moment, making her hand slip onto his arm. " Because of my cooking?"

"Well, kinda." He tilted his head, smiling his sincere smile. "But Sher-chan is so cute, too!"

Sherry pulled away, blushing extremely to his comment, which made the girl look away. It was too much for her—it was one thing to be complimented on your work, such as her cooking, but it was another when someone complimented your natural looks. She pinched her cheeks, wondering if this night was real…

"Sher-chan? You okay?" She turned back, looking at the blonde senior's face filled with curiosity and concern.

"Yes, everything is good!" She turned back to him, slightly gripping onto his arm. He smiled as he maneuvered his arm to her, adjusting for her to be comfortable as they glanced up to the stars.

Moments passed, no conversation, but Sherry wanted more time.

"What will you be doing after school?"

Hunny simply shrugged, actually coming to the terms that graduation was coming soon. "I don't know…. But either way, Takashi will be with me!"

Sherry blinked her eyes, trying to remember the name—she failed. "Who's Takashi?"

"The one who helped your sister before she fell earlier." Hunny smiled. "He's my cousin."

For a moment, Sherry felt the knot in her stomach go away. Of course, he had his own life in Japan, and being a Host member, Hunny should be popular with the ladies. Still, she was glad Takashi was no girl.

"You two should come visit Italy!" Sherry watched him look at her, her cheeks glowing. "I will be done with my studies for a little, and I'll make you cakes everyday."

Hunny saw it as a big possibility. The spring and summer season within the beautiful, affectionate Europe country, surrounded by the different delicious foods and desserts. He knew Takashi would not mind the trip plus it was clearly a learning trip of another culture…with the bonus of yummy treats.

"I will think about it, Sher-chan." He smiled to her and all she could do was squeeze his arm happily.

The two stood out within the early spring night, observing the wonders, but little did they know, a pair of eyes watched them from the inside of the mansion. Mori placed his hand on the glass, observing the small girl matching the excitement of his cousin. They looked nice together, he thought. Though Hunny was only being his usual friendly self, he could sense something creating. Something precious.

"Mori-kun?"

The tall senior looked to his left, gazing his eyes on the oldest sister. Chianti placed a black shrug on her shoulders, keeping one hand always holding it in place. Her eyes brushed against his, feeling a small grin appear when she knew it really was Mori.

"I'm surprised that everyone is separated into looking at the home." Her eyes fluttered against his. "But I would never had thought of you to be alone."

The simple implication of separation played within his mind—clearly he was only looking after his cousin, but even Hunny was with someone. And yet she was alone as well.

"Would you like for me to show you to the music room?" He nodded his head, lending out his arm for her to accept. He was only being kind, she thought.

They walked through the halls, lights dimmed to match the night sky, Chianti gripping onto his arm—but Chianti wanted to be closer, wanted to know how this man ticked. During dinner, she observed him only nodding, grunting to confirmation to the blonde senior, and stared down the table. If she did not notice his eyes earlier when he helped her, she would think he was nothing but strange person. But he was kind, his eyes so dark; a spark swam within them as well. She wanted to know more.

"You must watch your younger sisters a lot?" Chianti only looked up to him, surprised at his voice.

"Um, well, Papa is always working, and he raised us with little help for supervision." She glanced toward him then back into the dim hallway. "As the oldest, I have to look after them—our mother died after Marsala was born, so I had to be strong."

"So instead of living as a girl, you lived as a woman." No wonder she was so stern on them. She had to be the firm one since Sherry looked to be the softest, and Marsala seemed to be rebellious. And yet, yesterday and today, from the sketchbook quarrel to her giggling almost fall; he could see the spark of a teen girl in her. She yearned to be young, and yet she had to be strong.

"I am the same." Chianti looked up to him, but she stared surprisingly as he let his cool forehead touch hers.

"Mori-kun—"

"Call me Takashi."

His breath was so close; she felt it brush her cheek. She wanted to wiggle away, knowing her cheeks were glowing, but somehow she stayed. Deep down, she could feel that they did have a bond—so really, both of them were not alone.

"Naaaami."

The two moved away for a moment, hearing the voice sprung them back to the world. Mori looked around, recognizing the voice, until he heard shuffling coming from the nearest room. Silently, Mori escorted Chianti to the room, both peaking to see the commotion. Inside, Kaoru lingered closely to Nami, brushing his hand along her shoulder while she just blushed.

"You drank too much wine." She glared at him, seeing the deep scarlet of his cheeks.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling his head dropped to her shoulders. Nami could not believe the idea of the twins and Tamaki deciding to have silent race of drinking the wine. Of course, Haruhi was probably having her own trouble with Hikaru, and Tamaki was probably talking on the phone with Rebecca. She knew she should have stopped them after the fourth glass of wine.

"Nami, look at me." Their eyes danced within the night, piercing one another from emerald to amber. "May I kiss you?"

"No." She turned away, folding her arms. "Your breath smells like wine."

"You are so mean to me," he whined, but instead he let his breath brush against her neck.

Nami felt the shiver from his breathing, her hands gripping onto the sides of her dress. Even without his direct touch, she could feel him. Soon enough, she turned to him, sweeping her eyes with his once more until he decided to take the plunge to her lips. Yes, she could taste the sweetness of wine, but she also taste the sweetness of his lips, of his affection. So short, she pulled away, but still, so lasting, she could taste his mouth.

"You make me so happy." She felt his head lay back onto her shoulder, feeling his hand grip her waist. Many times her mind told her to push away, to punish him for being so forward, but at the same time, she felt herself long for his touch, long for him to feel the things that girls would want to feel from their boyfriends. She sighed—she never thought she would see the day when she would gaga over a boy's touch.

Chianti and Mori pulled back, resuming their way through the hall. Sometimes people deserved their private time. In the tall boy's mind, he felt a sense of accomplishment for the swimmer, knowing he did the right thing for her. She found love, something so dear, something she deserved…but in a short second, he felt envious, wanting to feel the same. He looked down to Chianti, seeing her face mixed with envy, as well, but then something he could not describe.

"Chianti-chan?" She placed a finger on her mouth; he wanted to question her, but soon enough he heard giggling from another room ahead of them.

They moved quickly, finding it a bit interesting to the slight conversation. As they peeked through the next room, they could see Haruhi sitting with a chuckling Hikaru as Tamaki lay on the floor with his phone to his head.

"Rebecca…. yeah, it's me…." A wide smile was placed on the president's face. "It is late for me…I just want to tell you I can't wait to see you again…I did have a little to drink; how did you know!"

Hikaru could not help but to point his finger at Tamaki, laughing at the things he was listening to. Of course, he only could hear one side of the conversation, but watching the blonde's facial expressions change was always something so funny, especially since each expression was accompanied by the deep scarlet on his cheeks.

"I wonder where everyone else is?" asked Haruhi trying to shift Hikaru's attention.

"Don't know, but they'll all be fine." Hikaru shrugged, placing an arm around the brunette's waist. "If I haven't said it yet, you look really cute tonight."

Haruhi felt her cheeks glow, her chestnut eyes making their way to his amber. Of course, she blamed his comments on the wine—she almost dreaded the silent game the three boys played at the table. She hoped Nami was doing all right with Kaoru.

"Haruhi, close your eyes." Haruhi looked up to her boyfriend, wanting to question him, but she could not—his lips brushed against her with the help of his hand brushing her back. He pulled her into him, tasting her lips between his. She could taste the lingering intoxication of both the wine and his mouth; she should have elbowed him for the overfriendliness, but instead, she mentally smiled.

Once they departed from one another, their breath left them both dizzy and wanting. Haruhi was the logical one—the practical person of the group who did not expect for them to know what she desired and wanted. She clearly separated her love life from her usual everyday life with the school, but this moment, she realized, how much she wanted to be near the older twin. She wanted nothing more than to just touch him.

Haruhi's hand glided to Hikaru's face, feeling the nape of his neck then trailing up to his cheek. He was so handsome, she thought. He smiled, loving the feel of her hand on his skin. They looked within their one another through their eyes, seeing and telling everything they never said but felt.

"Oh, Rebecca, don't you dare take their picture!" The two looked at Tamaki spark into slight anger, slamming his hand to the ground. "I forbid it! Please….."

He began to wind down again, the two arching their eyebrows to the sudden change of expressions. Chianti was the first to pull away from the door, brushing her hand on Mori's to continue to the room they wanted to visit. Sometimes people needed privacy.

--

"So did you like our school?" Kyouya asked, glancing out the window.

Marsala sat in a chair next to a large bookshelf, sketching with her book as Kyouya stood looking through the window. He felt her glance brush against him numerous times before and after she doodled within her booklet she kept so close. Through the night, he wondered of the drawing, feeling entitled to look since he was a model for her. Nevertheless, being rude would only upset an ally, which his father did not want him to do.

"It was okay." She looked to her finished sketch number two of the boy—Kyouya adjusting his glasses while he modeled a clean stone colored Italian suit with a royal blue shirt and matching tie to accompany the style. "I mean, clearly, you guys have a lot to offer."

"Plus I would be there, right?" Marsala looked up from her picture, glancing at the raven hair junior making his way to her.

Kyouya bent down to her, letting his hands hold on to each arm of the chair. Marsala felt herself hold her breath, feeling his presence move closer. She did not know what brought him to come so close, until he finally took the book out of her hand.

"Hey!" She tried to grab it away, but he pulled back glancing at his picture.

Marsala pulled herself from her chair. Of course if it were anyone, she would just yank the booklet away, commenting on how repulsed she felt. But this boy, his aura was different from everyone. She did not feel repulsed by him at all—so she stood there, watching him skim through her booklet.

"Your sketches—impressive." He looked over to her. "How long does it take you to create your designs?"

"Oh, it varies." She felt herself fidget with her fingers. "With women clothing, it can take only a couple of days, with men suits—up to three days for each."

He nodded his head, investigating the inner idea of a change of plans. If Marsala entered their school, she would become a helpful ally for the Host Club with ideas of new costuming, and assisting him whenever needed ideas of new themes. The profits would increase, and their spending would decrease.

"We would appreciate your assistance as the fashion designer in our Host club." He informed of his thoughts, placing a hand on her from time to time.

"I'll think about it." She felt her heart race, being complimented on her work from him. Of course, ir was nothing more than a business case, but if she did come to this school, indeed, she would see him and be near him as well.

They both stood near one another, looking through the window. Kyouya looked down to the youngest Florio. He did not intend to think of her as more than a business ally, but once he saw her pouting lips, he could not help but to see her as a girl, too. Her curvy body, an Italian representation of a woman, allured his eyes prior of the moment, but he had to think for his father's company. Yet….

"Kyouya, can I tell you something…. a story, really."

She found her deep blue eyes look up to him, but slowly he nodded to her.

"Long ago, there was a king—he was known to be a suave, charming young man, creating a sense of amour when he looked to a woman." She placed her hand on the window. "One day, he found a woman who mirrored his looks and charm, so he married her. They were happy, competing with one another, but their hearts shined to the fullest. Soon after he had his first two children, he found that the queen loved another, secretly a servant of the king. The king, tired and hurt, traveled to a land where a gypsy took his view. "

Kyouya watched the girl, finding nothing in particular to her story, but he continued to listen.

"He watched her sent life and excitement to onlookers as she danced with her heart. People rumored her to be a lady of great talent with charm, but she never could settle down into one area. The king blinded by the gypsy's dance, took her to be a lover. Soon after, the king went to leave the land, but the gypsy fell in love. She followed him to his land, finding that his throne was accompanied by a queen already, so she took her leave."

"After the third child was born, the queen became ill and died before the year passed. Of course the king felt great sorrow, but continued to live for his children and his kingdom."

She glanced up to Kyouya, wondering if he was listening then continued with the story.

"Through the years, the king would visit the faraway land, revisiting the gypsy, or at least meeting her in other lands. They chased one another through the years, the children not knowing their father's mission until one day, on the oldest daughter's 18th birthday, the king told the three children that of the gypsy and the king's other child."

"The children asked their father of their other sibling, but the king could not describe her fully. He always wanted to meet the child, but somehow during her years, the love child would not meet him because of a fear."

Kyouya's eyes flickered, which she took as him finally realizing the tale.

"Nevertheless, the sisters took on the task to meet their sister, though the youngest not caring…until she met her." Marsala looked out the window. "The youngest thought the love child did not want to know them, but she in fact learned that she was never given any detail of her father, which was sad."

The two stood there, Kyouya wondering what to say. For once, his knowledgeable personality could not help him to reply to this discovery.

"Kyouya, we will meet again." Her eyes brushed against his then out the window. "Because Papa is wanting to see her soon."

"I see…"

"Please…watch over her for us and don't tell anyone." She felt a sigh release, feeling herself becoming softer in a way. " She deserves a little happiness before reality hits her."

As soon as her eyes downcast, she felt Kyouya' hand grip hers. She turned to him slightly, wondering about his actions, but she could see. A glint of trust sparkled through his eyes. He knew that she took a big jump of telling him, noting that both her other sisters would be angry that she told. Nevertheless, he gave him trust that only a handful of people have given him.

"I promise."

Marsala smiled for a moment, and then looked out the window again, keeping her hands in his. She did not want to go on this trip because she felt that the someone they were looking for was not looking for them. Now, she saw in the girl's eyes, no one gave her clues to search. How sad a life to be without a father.

"Poor Nami…"

--

A/N: Yes, I'm done! I wanted to give everyone waff in this chapter while moving Nami's back story along. The Italian sisters will be acknowledged through the fic, a couple of time, and have sightings in two future chapters, but that will be it. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter…it's not one of my favorite, but it will do for the time being.

A little known fact #1: All three girls are named after wines in Italy.

Little known fact #2: I love detailing about women's wardrobe if you could not tell.

I promise the next one will be good. Clue: It's White Day!


	16. Spontaneous Affection

A/N: Hey, guys

A/N: Hey, guys. I must apologize for the lateness…. Once again, I was writing this chapter and was disappointed with it, so I had to start over. (Sighs) Plus it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago, so I went on a road trip for a week with my friends. Anyway, I hope you like the chapter!

Chapter 16

Spontaneous Affection

"A double date?"

The two girls looked at their boyfriends for answers, walking to the ceremony of the graduation. Of course they knew this day carried the same effects of Valentine's Day, but they both were a little amazed by the sudden idea. It came so quickly and it was also the last day of their senior friends.

"Yeah, dinner, movie," spoke Hikaru letting his hand slide onto Haruhi's shoulder. "It's better than candy!"

Haruhi felt a slight chuckle slip out her mouth. "Yeah, well, we should have been aware of it a little earlier than today."

"Yeah, you two are such sports about timing." Nami jokingly punched Kaoru in the side.

"Hey, it is better than nothing, right?" He felt a slight smirk tug on his face. "Or maybe you want to spend it Mori-senpai."

Nami stopped her footsteps, which triggered the other three to do the same. She knew it was a joke—Kaoru was always playing with her as he did now. But in the back of her mind, she felt that Kaoru somewhat meant his words. The younger twin mentally kicked himself for saying something. He did not mean to hurt her, if he did.

"Nami, I was just—"

Before the redhead could apologize, the swimmer jumped up onto his back, surprising anyone who was near them. At first, Kaoru was losing his balance before he maneuvered his arms around her legs—he looked over his shoulder to question her action, but she just peered with a playful smile.

"Nami!" He was not at all use to her like this, especially since she hated when he did it.

"Sometimes you're a real idiot." She let her comment float within his ear, whispering it with the mixture of her natural attitude and an alluring smitten affection.

"Why do you say that?"

Nami's cheeks redden, collecting the words she wanted to say—it was one thing to be smitten, but it was another thing to say lovey-dovey things in public, she thought.

"This is my first White Day with a boyfriend." She smiled down to him, wrapping her arms more around his neck. "I would never dream of being with anyone else."

"Not even Mori-senpai?" He did not know why, but he wanted to know.

Nami's eyes flickered as she pinched his shoulder. "No one else."

"Ow, that hurts!" Kaoru quickly dropped the girl, knowing she would tighten her arms around his neck. She dropped down, holding on to him, but he loosened her hold. Shit.

With that she made a thud, touching her rear once she was sitting on the cold, marble ground. Of course she knew he would do something like this, but the swimmer did not realize how awkward the fall would be.

"You jackass!" Nami's eyes darted up to her boyfriend, which he replied with his wicked smile. His alluring dimples with his flashy auburn eyes—this vision she has seen everyday, never changing. Her reaction to him, never changing as well—her body shivered slightly when her hand slid into his helping, larger hand. She stood looking at him, forgetting for a moment what he did…but only a moment.

"You're such a jerk, you know that?" Nami stuck her tongue out at him, but linking her right arm with his left.

The bickering couple walked with great speed into the gym, surrounded by the vast group of students who watched the scene. Of course, the school knew about the tall swimmer and one of the Host members dating—it was the news of the year. No girl had easily captured one of the host members' hearts—to think a tomboy at that! News like that made juicy gossip, and it did not help that they were quite the bickering, visual couple in the halls. Love came in all forms, one would assume.

Hikaru looked down at Haruhi. The two host members have been dating longer than Kaoru and Nami, but it seemed that the newer couple had everything in order. Nami would become a little jealous when Kaoru would flirt with his host members, verbally and physically, yet Kaoru would bite his lip when he saw Nami speak to Mori or the guys on the swim team. Even when they were together, they would dispute and insult one another, but if it upset the other, the discussion would be dropped and concern would rush over. Their relationship, far from being perfect and clean, was enriched with excitement and spontaneity.

"Hikaru, are you okay?" asked Haruhi brushing her eyes up to his auburn.

He quickly shuffled his pace, quickening his step as he chuckled. "Nothing." A lie, she thought. He tried to reassure her with a smile, but all she could hear in her head was 'What a liar'.

--

Later in the day, Mori and Hunny walked out of the school to look at it once more. They graduated—it was time to leave their past behind, holding onto the memories they had and the experiences that would mold their futures. It was quite bittersweet, tugging onto the last vision of the adolescence…. They were adults, to say the least.

"Takashi, do you think Sherry will be happy to see me next week?" Though Hunny was sad, Mori could feel the blonde looking onto the future.

"Of course she would." The taller senior could vision the middle Florio child running to the blonde with sheer happiness and disbelief. Mori would walk up, seeing the oldest Florio girl Chianti smiling, her hand pressed against her chest. She would be fighting back with the idea of running up to him in a youthful greeting or establishing herself as a mature yet grateful hostess of her mansion and country. He could see him smirk at her fighting off the youth within her, until she gave in with only a slight pull to his arm and appreciative smile of his arrival.

"Takashi? What are you thinking about?" asked Hunny pulling onto his jacket.

Mori finished his thought, reassuring his cousin with only a slight smirk. Yes, Italy would be a way to start off their future.

"Senpais, congratulations!" The two graduates turned to watch Haruhi and Nami walk up to them.

"Thank you, Haru-chan, Nami-chan," cheered Hunny, taking to the girls' side.

He instantly jumped up, hugging each girl, which surprised them a little. Hunny kept his smile on his face, grasping each girl's hand one more time. The memories were flowing in his mind, his tears he fought back. Soon, they would not see one another as much.

"Where's Kaoru and Hikaru?" asked Mori slightly eyeing the girls' expressions.

"They needed to go home early for the double date," spoke Haruhi with Nami nodding.

"A double date? How exciting! We would always double date, right Takashi?" The taller senior nodded his head, yet somehow the two girls knew of that already.

"I'm kinda excited since this is my first **date**- date!" Nami felt her voice express more excitement than she particularly wanted. "I mean, I think it'll be okay…"

The three gawked at the swimmer trying to convey her usual laidback, cool image, but they already saw the evidence of a girlish girlfriend hiding within the raven hair girl. They laughed.

"Well, I hope that your double date will be nice!" Hunny gripped the hands one last time before taking his side beside Mori.

"It was very good to meet both of you." Mori glimpsed at both girls, placing his larger hand on their heads once more. "Be good."

The two girls just stood, feeling their hair brushed against his hand from the pat. The small affection from Mori meant the world to both girls, and yet they had wished it was something that would have not mangled their hair.

--

The two girls decided to make their way to Nami's mansion for a somewhat makeover. Well, actually Nami decided on the whole idea and wanted to talk to Haruhi on dating. The swimmer took every bit of opinion from the brunette closely to heart, the effect of their strong friendship. She would listen intently, grasping all the information she valued. It was funny—Nami expressed individuality in her clothes, mannerism, and thoughts, but she trusted Haruhi's judgment before her own.

"Maria, bring me the vintage clothes I bought from the other week." Her maid bowed, leaving the girls to examine the various tops and bottoms of clothing on her king size bed.

"Nami, do we really have to be that detailed with the date?" asked Haruhi sizing a blue tank top to her form. No, not my style, she thought.

Nami opened her mouth widely then closed it before anything escaped—instead she chuckled to herself, smoothing out a red long sleeve shirt to her form as she looked to a mirror. She really did not want sound like the girls in her class.

"Look, it's a special day. I have not been on a date with Kaoru, and I know he's been looking forward to it all week." She smiled, dropping the shirt onto the bed and picking up another clothing item.

"You seem to be excited though."

Nami turned to her friend, glaring at first until a sigh slipped from her lips.

"I am." She turned back to the mirror, tilting her head to see the new clothing pressed against her. "Wait—are you not happy about the date?"

Haruhi looked over to her raven hair friend, collecting the glance of nervousness from her. It was not the fact she was staring at her, but Haruhi was really taking the question to heart. Of course, she loved being around Hikaru—one of her favorite things about the host club was because they were always together. Yet lately, things were changing—she would catch him intently looking away from her, he would sigh when Nami and Kaoru were around, and more importantly, when she asked, he would lie about being all right. He was hiding something and she did not know what to think.

Haruhi lowered her head for a moment, which triggered Nami to look to her friend instead of her clothes.

"Haruhi…..?"

"Something's wrong with Hikaru, and I don't know if it involves me or not."

"…Well, have you asked him about it?"

"Of course—but he lies and says everything is okay."

Nami shrugged her shoulders, watching as Maria the maid placed the new collection of clothes onto the bed.

"That is pretty much a shock." Nami looked over her shoulder to the brunette. "You guys always look so peaceful with one another."

"R-really? I don't see it."

Nami made a scoffing noise, glaring at the girl for not seeing the evidences. "Well, you guys are very mature about each other—you don't need words, you just blend into one another."

Haruhi blinked her eyes, taking in the different prospective. She always knew that being with Hikaru was very comfortable, very reassuring to the side of her heart that choice him for her. When he pulled her hand, she melted into his form so easily. Though she was one for reserve display of affection, she would follow his touch whenever he gave it.

"Gosh, sometimes I wonder why Kaoru can't take a page from Hikaru." Nami picked up a pair of jeans, studying them with her form. "I mean, I would like to not fight once and a while—and his stupid jokes piss me off!"

"It's his way of affections, you know that—he only really does it with you."

"Yeah, I know." Nami paused for a moment, then jumped to Haruhi's side—as if something just popped in front of her in the mirror. "I got it!"

"What?"

Nami placed her hands on Haruhi's shoulders, smiling dearly, which actually made the brunette raise her eyebrow to the notion. "Hikaru is probably just wanting your attention—maybe something fresh and different."

Haruhi did not know if she liked Nami switching her personality like that, but in the end, it was a good idea. "Like how?"

"I don't know." Nami spotted the perfect outfit—something cute yet laid back, customized for the very friend that needed change. "We'll start with the outfit and work our way from there."

--

The two Hitachiin twins waited outside of the movie theater. They wondered if it would have been the better idea to pick up the girls, but Nami insisted the two girls meeting them was the best thing. Kaoru sat on a bench, looking outward to the street as his older twin leaned onto the brick of the building, letting his eyes rest onto his video game. Hey, if they had to wait, he would bring entertainment, Hikaru thought.

"Sorry that we're late!"

The twins placed themselves on the solid ground, observing the two girls running to their sides. Haruhi smoothed out her yellow halter-top shirt, which wrapped around her body graciously, with capris and sandals. Nami placed her hand on her chest, waiting on her breathing to calm down as Kaoru eyed her choice of clothes—a dark green, off the shoulders shirt snugly gripping her torso with dark flare jeans. Both girls wearing something so simple, practically girly 101 outfits, made the boys take a moment to themselves.

Kaoru felt himself question why his girlfriend looked the way she did. The hint of her shoulders showing made him want to trail his finger to the peeping visibility of her skin. He eyed her form, touching and embracing the fabric of both her shirt and her jeans with his eyes—for a moment; he was amazed that she was his.

"What are you looking at?" Nami only wanted to ask to break the silence of the four, but her voice made it sound annoyed.

"I never would have thought you had this type of clothing in your closet." Kaoru smirked when she arched her eyebrow. "You look cute."

Nami felt the burning of her cheeks, fighting off the sensation of happiness in her heart. She did not know how to reply to the compliment. Of course, she could always say 'Thank You', but she was too nervous to be appreciative. Instead, she decided the usual form of affection—she took her right arm hand and slapped Kaoru in the arm.

"What the hell, Nami!"

"Oh, yeah, now I feel better." She felt a small laugh escape her mouth as she flexed her arms in victory—when you cannot think of anything, fall back into something of the norm.

"Let's go inside before I forget to buy you snacks." With that, he grabbed her hand, hearing the whining moan from the swimmer's mouth. If she were not so busy from her whimpering, she would have seen the bright smile on the younger twin's face.

Hikaru and Haruhi stood out in the opening of the movie theater when the other couple left. Hikaru felt his heart skip a beat when Haruhi met his eyes with her chestnut then glided away. He assumed she knew why he was staring, but he knew she really did not understand—he thought of her as beautiful. The yellow embracing her form while showing off her creamed skin—he could only thank Buddha for her choice.

"You look really cute."

Haruhi felt her heart skip a beat. Her chocolate eyes graced down to her hands, wondering what to say—she had to make everything better, for his sake.

Haruhi glanced up to him, puffing out her cheeks out with an attempt of being angered.

"Gosh, you are trying to make me blush or something!?" It was not graceful, it was not soft, it was not even a Haruhi kind of behavior. Hikaru picked up her words, wanting to further the discussion, but once she said the words, her arms scooped up Hikaru's longer arm. He looked down to her, she looked up with a blushing face—one so cute with her smiling face and scarlet spread around her cheeks.

The older twin fixated his glance down at her, eyes slightly growing in amazement, which then triggered the brunette to look at the cement of the ground. She was so embarrassed, but for the chance to make Hikaru happy, she would try this.

"Let's go inside, Haruhi." He opened the door for her, feeling her grip loosen on him, but even as her arms gave him freedom, her fingers continued to loosely entangle with his fingertips.

As the couples finally made their way to their seats, the girls decided to sit beside one another while their respectable boyfriend sat on the other side of them. Nami comfortably placed her messenger bag into her lap, nesting the small chocolate MM's on top. As soon as Kaoru glanced down at her lap, he reached for the bag only to have his hand slapped by the very owner.

"Um, what was that for?"

"You could ask! Just because you bought them, doesn't mean they're yours." She took a coupled of MM's from the back, throwing them into her mouth—Kaoru glared but she smiled triumphantly.

"Gimme."

"No."

"Come on."

"Keep asking, buddy."

"Please." Kaoru cupped the girl's chin with his hand, brushing his eyes with her emerald eyes. "I just want some."

Nami felt her cheeks burn, but she was not going to let him get away with it. "Okay."

Kaoru smiled victoriously, releasing her hand off her chin and cupping his hands as he waited for the treat. In seconds, Nami took the bag, letting her fingers pick out two small ones, and placed them in his hands with a generous smile.

"Is that all?"

"What, you did not say how many…" Nami's smile grew when Kaoru's smile fell into a thin line.

Nami felt a laugh reach out of her mouth as her boyfriend tried to grab for the bag. She finally could not take the playful torture as her grip loosened for him, letting Kaoru take the bag. Something so easy to do was becoming such a playful hassle.

"Are you guys done?" Hikaru did not know why, but the tone of his voice crept with annoyance.

"Yeah, the movie's about to start." Haruhi's words mirrored the dimming of the lights, which the other couple gave sheepish smiles for their immaturity. But even with their childishness, Hikaru could not help but to feel envious of that moment.

Time passed by with the movie pulling everyone's attention. It seemed that their boyfriend's picked the movie that somewhat mirrored both girls' life—a movie of a girl, far from being the ideal feminine schoolgirl, was in love with a popular boy. The heroine did not suit to the conventional Japanese girl looks and attitude, which secretly excited the popular boy's interest. Their interaction, built on comedy, but melted with romance when they accidentally touched hands and/ or looked into each other's eyes. The movie was too close to home.

Haruhi looked over to Nami and Kaoru, feeling the swimmer change her position of sitting. Her chocolate eyes observed the swimmer placing her hand on top of Kaoru's on the armrest. She noticed the quick exchange—the quick eye glance, warm smiles, leaning closer to one another. Maybe she should do the same with Hikaru.

She positioned her hands in her lap, gazing slightly up to her boyfriend—he was actually paying a lot of interest to the movie. His arm was spread on the top of her seat behind her neck— she hoped that his hand was already on the armrest. Nevertheless, it was up to her to make the move, she thought.

Haruhi slowly plopped her arm on the armrest between the two, letting her hand hold slightly open for his. She looked slightly up to see if he noticed—No, very much into the movie, she thought. So she waited, gave a fake cough, covering her mouth with her other hand. Nope, still into the movie.

"Hikaru?"

Her voice was less of a whisper, but he was triggered when he heard the slightest tone of her voice in the air. The redhead boy looked slightly down to her, showing he was listening.

"If you want to place your hand on the armrest, I made room." Her fingers curled in and out, giving the boy a hint as he slowly nodded his head. She waited, having her hand quite open for his, but nothing changed. He still was too preoccupied with the movie to get the hint. Well, she tried; she thought when she let a sigh out of her mouth. Back to the movie.

Moments passed—though, she was now into the movie, Hikaru's lips formed into a wide smile. Why did he not see it before—the space for his arm next to hers, her inviting palm and fingers, her silly little comment? She was trying something; he knew that now, which in a way, excited him. He could not let this moment pass any longer. He scooped his arm from around her chair and slid it beside her arm, gripping to the inviting palm of the brunette. The redhead slightly looked over to her, seeing her eyes were glued onto the movie but one of the cutest smiles crept onto her face.

--

"That movie was really good!"

Nami and Haruhi walked side by side with one another as they both followed their boyfriends to the next destination of the date. Once again the boys would not give them any clues of which place, so they talked amongst one another.

"When that girl said 'What do you think I am? A bulldog', I seriously was about to pee my pants!" laughed Nami.

Kaoru's face peered over his shoulder with one of his wicked smiles, replying, "I'm pretty much glad you didn't do that."

Nami kept laughing; only looking at her friend beside her but felt her fist ram into the side of Kaoru's back. He gave a short reply of pain but slid his hand to grip hers. Nothing was said, but their motion was swift—Haruhi wanted to do the same.

"Hikaru, what did you like about the movie?" asked Haruhi, taking Hikaru's opened side.

Hikaru thought for moment, trying to suppress the notion he was really into the chick flick. " I dunno, when the girl fell up the bleachers—that was pretty awesome."

Haruhi jokingly glared at him, letting her hand swat the side of his arm. "That is pretty mean to say!"

Once her hand made the contact, her hand slid down his arm into his hand. Her touch sent waves of slight pleasure to the boy, fighting off the warm feeling within his skin. Of course she noticed the wave of goose bumps halfway down and the grip in his hand with hers, but he knew she did not notice his heart skipping a beat.

Within minutes, they made it to the restaurant—a prosperous, yet small sushi place. Of course the boys did not care for the choice of their dinner, but both knew the excitement Haruhi had for the expensive type of sushi.

Haruhi felt herself smiled widely as she looked up to Hikaru, knowing that this was mainly his influence. She treasured how much he really knew about her and how much he tried to make her happy.

Nami looked over to the couple, cupping up the image of their innocent yet affection eye glance. Somehow, she felt that the date would be so much better for her brunette friend if they were not there.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking." She heard the whisper from Kaoru from behind; her breath holding on when she felt his breath along her shoulder and neck. "I think it's time to split for us."

Nami looked back at him, gracious for his agreement—maybe they were actually a "two of a kind" couple. She turned back to the other couple, watching Hikaru open the door.

"Well, you guys have a great time eating sushi!" Nami waved her hand, making Haruhi arch her eyebrow.

"What? You guys are leaving?" asked Hikaru looking to his brother.

Kaoru pocketed his hand in his jean pockets, feeling guilt for not telling his brother, but it was for his own good. "Yeah, I kinda want something different."

Nami bent down to the shorter girl, letting her mouth whisper, "You guys need some alone time…. remember to try some of what I told you."

Haruhi watched her friend rub her hand through her raven hair as she followed Kaoru to another place to eat.

"So where we gonna go now?"

"Don't you like okonomiyaki?"

Nami felt a gasp escape her mouth, tugging onto the sleeve of his jacket. "Yes, let's go get some!"

From that point on, they could not hear anymore of what the retreating couple could say, so Haruhi glided through the opening of the door to the sushi restaurant. Once inside, Haruhi and Hikaru slid onto tatami mats close to one of the corner tables. The server made her way to the couple, wearing a navy blue and purple kimono. They produce their respectable choices for their meals and watched the server make her way to the back of the place.

"I can't believe those two left like that." Hikaru placed his elbows on the table, looking around the place with his eyes yet not moving his head.

Haruhi drank the glass of water in front of her. "Well, you know those two—full of spontaneity."

Hikaru's eyes flickered toward the brunette, carefully observing her hand gripping onto the glass of water in her hand. Her hand so delicate, yet he could see the small tremble of them. Was she nervous?

"You enjoying yourself?" he asked, falling back into his chair as he her place the glass back on the table.

Haruhi smiled vivaciously, slipping her chin in her hands as she leaned her elbows on the table. "I always enjoy myself with you, silly."

He could tell her remark was sincere, but the way she said it made him think she was trying too hard. He leaned back in, letting his hand glide to sweep the short locks of the brunette. Their eyes locked with one another, but Haruhi leaned on his hand that swept into her hair.

"You know, I really appreciate this new thing about you, but if you're tired of the act, you don't have to do it anymore."

Haruhi heard his words—wondering how he could see through the acts. Of course, she knew some of her acts were somewhat out of character, but they were not too extreme. Yet, why did he think she was having a bad time doing it?

"You could tell that quickly, huh?" she asked, which he replied with a nod of the head.

"To be completely honest, I was a little alarmed with the way you took my arm." He smiled. "Though it was nice to feel wanted like that."

Haruhi felt her lips curve upward, her cheeks slightly glowing to the smile he produced. "I just wanted to make you happy."

"You already do." He withdrew his hand, but one of her hands grabbed onto the warmth of his fingertips. They let their fingers slip into one another on the table.

"To be completely honest—" she felt a sigh escape, "—the reason I did this was because I knew something was wrong."

He wanted to say something, but she only hushed him for her to continue. "I knew something was wrong because, with you, I can always feel it. You assured me everything was okay, but I knew better."

"It was just something trivial, that's all." He rushed the words out, but she held onto his hand.

"Tell me."

Hikaru observed the fierce determination rising within his girlfriend's eyes. So charged with spunk and purpose, lighted with the compassion of her chocolate color—her eyes were so enchanting, he could not disappoint her.

"I sometimes feel envious of what Kaoru and Nami share." Wait, he was messing up his words. "I mean, the way they interact with one another—of course they are not a perfect couple, but the way they just share their views and affection is admirable."

Haruhi could understand—she would watch how Nami reacted to Kaoru's compliments or caddy remarks, but they all knew, the comments were filled with affection. Their relationship was very adventurous and different to the conventional want in a relationship. And yet…

Haruhi smiled, laughing at the irony playing within the thoughts.

"What's so funny?" Hikaru watched with amusement at the brunette covering her giggling mouth.

"Ironically, Nami thinks we are the ideal couple." When Nami wanted ideas to change, Nami wanted advice. "Nami told me how much she wished her relationship with Kaoru could be mellow like ours."

Hikaru thought—Nami and Kaoru wanted to be like them? "Why does she say that?"

"Because she says we were made for one another." She gripped his hand. "We're comfortable with one another, we barely have big problems, etc. Things like that."

Hikaru always knew he was lucky—his first girlfriend was a very laid back, naturally cute girl who thought with her wits. She was reserved with her emotions, but she was very understanding to his needs.

"I'm pretty stupid, huh?" He had everything he wanted, why was he thinking so conceitedly? "Everything's wonderful between us—I was asking too much."

Haruhi quieted him with her grip once more, shaking her head to the notion. "No, this is a real issue…. Maybe not as big as others, but it is." She placed her hands into her lap, collecting what she wanted to say before brushing her chocolate eyes to his auburn. "I am not being fair—I should be more affectionate, more demanding of your attention."

Hikaru shook his head, but she darted her eyes to see the truth in his.

"Hikaru, I know you love me." Hikaru's breath stopped, his eye growing, but she stayed the same. "And, I love you."

The two looked at one another with so much realization of this step. This step that they took, built with several months of being together, half a year of indicating the care for one another—this step placed them on a different level, building the bond that they both held delicately. Love was something they were both wanting and scared of—but it was there.

"You want excitement, something fresh, noticeable of the nice changes with our relationship." Her words were picked so carefully, they mirrored the same thoughts of the redhead—only he knew that. "I want your happiness, your affection, your connection. Everything I want is the same with yours, and you've been giving more—"

"Haruhi, you give me that!" She felt surprise from his sudden outburst, loud enough to stop her explanation but soft enough for their ears to hear. He decided to speak a little calmer. "You give me all that."

Haruhi smiled, feeling the blush on her cheeks but she wanted to make things right—not just his sake, now, but theirs together. "I know we're both new to dating and understanding feelings. There has been times that I wanted to flirt with you and to hit you flirted more than needed with some of your clients—but I could not understand why."

Hikaru darted his gaze to her, reading the sincerity in her posture and her face. Haruhi was jealous? In his right mind, he should see no problem in that—the brunette was human, but this was Haruhi. Everything that was not contained in logic went over her head.

"I think now, we should both be true to how we feel, what we want to say, and not suppress to not hurt the other." That's what Nami and Kaoru did, and that's how they would act as well. "I like grabbing your hand first sometimes—though I need to get use to it."

Hikaru moved his fingers in and out from his palm, wondering if she would understand. Of course she chimed a chuckle as she glided her hand in his—déjà vu.

"I love you." He said it—but she knew that already.

"I love you, too." Their eyes never wavered, indulging in the smoothness and tranquility of their vision. Never did they both think that they would get to this point. Haruhi knew she was taking chances with him. Like the palm readers noted —she did not know where this road would take her. But now she knew one thing—if it would lead to heartbreak, she would be happy to know that she did her best.

"Here's your food!" They unlatched their hands, shuffling their eyes up to the server who just smiled, not knowing the past conversation. Yet, she knew one thing—these two customers were in something deep.

--

"Thank you for today."

Haruhi stood in front of Nami's mansion. The plan was that the brunette would stay over with the swimmer after the date—the term was done and the break was beginning at school. If she knew the couples were going separate ways, she would have left to go home. She did not know if Nami went home already, she did not know if the girl made other plans with Kaoru. So she was standing there, imagining the possibilities of what to do while holding her boyfriends' hand.

"Haruhi? Did you hear me?" He lowered to her ear, letting his breath trickle down her neck. In an impulse, she leaned to his side, pressing her skin onto his.

"I heard you." She looked up to him, feeling all her attention to him.

Her hand moved up to his auburn hair, brushing the ends playfully, tenderly. He could not move from his stance beside her, he did not want that. The feeling of her being the one to take control was so thrilling, so different. Maybe this was exactly what they needed.

"Haruhi, you're back!"

Nami came out her mansion, waving from the doorsteps. Well, now the brunette did not need to wonder if she needed to go home or not.

"I'll get going." Hikaru smiled to her, a spark of his auburn graced her vision when he turned to leave. He made only several footsteps, looking at his driver open the door to his limo, but not anticipating hearing the quick footsteps of his girlfriend behind her. He turned to see why she was running, but was introduce to her wrapping her arms around his neck. He lowered down to her, amazed but invited to her affection.

"Haruhi?"

"Shut up—I hear you." Her lips made their way to his, brushing them at first as her eyes closed to the impact. He wrapped his own arms, engulfing her form within his embrace, feeling her small lips sipping into his love. Her love, wrapped with the heat of her touch, surrounded him with excitement and spontaneity yet keeping the never changing warmth of their serenity. She deepened, holding a stronger hold, and he could not, **would not**, back down from this, at all.

After another minute passed by, she withdrew from him, gasping for the needed air while he looked down at her, longing and satisfied at the same time. The brunette, amazed with her own courage, looked up, brushing to mirror his own expression.

"I guess you can leave now." She smirked, entangling her fingertips with his once more.

Hikaru made his way into the limo, looking out the window as he waited for his driver to start the vehicle. He could see the running image of Nami, taking to his girlfriend's side, yet Haruhi did not turn to her. Her eyes were still mirroring his emotion and expression. But when he felt the limo move and her form stood, Haruhi raised her hand up, bending her fingers in and out of her palm—that's when he knew his envy was gone.

--

A/n: Oh, so lovey-dovey… I hope you enjoyed. Just so you know, Hunny and Mori will not be hosts anymore, but they will make appearances later within the fic. I wanted to display some sort of trouble with HaruxHika, though it was more of lack of communication than anything else. I thought it was cute.

I think I have an idea when I'm going to be done with fic--six to eight more chapters. So there's still a lot, but in the same time, it might be a couple of months. I know how I'm going to end the fic, but there are so many things to do before then.

Please review!


	17. The Arrival of Happiness

A/N: Hello

A/N: Hello! Well, I wanted to get a start on this chapter early since I'm pretty much excited to bring back a certain character.

On with the fic!

Chapter 17

The Arrival of Happiness

Anticipation was what he was feeling—his hands engulfed with one another, his feet tapping on the concrete. If it were not for the fact that he was sitting on a bench, he would surely be running around the place. Tamaki felt his heart jumping around, wanting the blonde to do the same. Good thing he brought his friends along to make sure he would not do something embarrassing…heh.

"So, what time did she say her flight came?" asked Kyouya, looking through his notebook.

"She called me at 9:00 a.m." Tamaki looked over to the vice president, eyes filled with anxiety.

"It's three, milord," indicated Hikaru, leaning on the slightly smirking Haruhi.

"Maybe she's still unpacking?" asked Nami holding a magazine out for Kaoru and her to read.

"That's why you have servants," replied Kaoru who casually turned the next page.

"She's late." Kyouya was always about timely arrivals and departures. He did not intend to come, but the president was more emotional than usual—his help was vital, so Kyouya commented that if he came, everyone must come.

"Don't be such a worrier, Tamaki-san." Haruhi placed a hand on the blonde, having him brush his worrying eyes to hers. "If she said she's coming, she's coming."

It was always when she looked to him with that face, he would feel something spark within him. The reassuring smile glided along her creamy skin, her vibrant, mature chocolate eyes radiated in his observation, and her glowing, logical personality cooed him down from his frantic state. If Haruhi said it, he believed it—he felt himself calm down.

"Tamaki baby!"

The pet name rolled within the air, making the group freeze and Tamaki leap onto his feet. Tamaki's eyes darted to various places around him until his eyes grasped the person he was looking for.

"Becca!"

He gazed at the gaijin running toward the crew, but as she came closer, he could see a difference in her appearance. Once with long dirty blonde hair, the American girl had pink highlighted, shoulder length bobbed blonde hair. Her bangs swept over one side of her face as it scooped behind her ear and under a tied hair scarf trailing down her back. Rebecca began to slow up, pulling down her short sleeve black "Paramore" shirt with torn jeans and her black converses. She adjusted the large messenger bag around her shoulder, brushing her hazel eyes with only Tamaki.

"Becca? Is that you?" Tamaki's sapphire eyes grew in amazement, continuing to decipher the changes in her form. To think he vision the meeting to be more like the day she left—passionate, comfortable with gazing at an artistic girl next door. Now, she looked as if she was coming to meet him to go to a punk concert.

"Of course, it's me, silly!" She opened her bag, picking out a small digital camera. "Just because I look different, doesn't mean I am."

She turned the camera on, glimpsing to see Tamaki changing from looking like a deer caught in headlights to a male model—displaying a suave smirk and alluring, tempting eye glance. Rebecca felt herself catch her laughter, taking the picture immediately, then placing the camera back into her bag. As soon as it was in her bag, she leaped onto the blonde. Her arms wrapped around his neck snuggly while her legs wrapped around his waist. Her motion swift and thorough alarmed Tamaki for a moment until she pressed her lips onto his cheek. Yep, she has not changed at all.

"So, you went more portable with the camera, huh?" asked Hikaru pointing at her bag.

Her eyes grew bigger, still hanging onto a giggly, spaced out Tamaki. "I did not know you guys were here!"

She jumped off the blonde, grabbing her camera out once again as she collected various group and single pictures of the people around her. Click. Click. The sound, the lights, the help of posing. Yep, this was when they knew the gaijin was truly back.

"So, how is everyone?" She placed her camera back into her bag, waiting for everyone to stop wiping their flash sensitive eyes.

"Nothing much really—It's the end of the school year and school starts within a couple of weeks," noted Nami.

Rebecca nodded her head. "I see. Well, since I'm back, we have to make this a pumped up break!"

"Wait, don't you still have school in America?" asked Kyouya adjusting his glasses.

"Oh, I finished super fast to make time for this up coming school year." She chuckled, looking within her bag for an item, increasing everyone's interest. "You see, my principal had to make all my teachers let me take my tests and exams early or else I would let the public see this picture."

She pulled out a black folder, turning the pages until she found the certain thing she was looking for. She pulled out the picture, letting the group see, which made them express mix replies—Hikaru covering up Haruhi's eyes, Nami blushing profusely with her hand covering hers eyes…. barely, Kaoru making an expression that just spelled out disgust, Kyouya arching his eyebrow, and Tamaki gaping with his eyes almost popping out his sockets. They could completely understand why she had permission—an act in such a studious place would have made headlines.

"And she was not even his wife." The group made a shrilling sound of disgust as the gaijin placed the picture back in the bag. "So how about we head to get a bite to eat?"

Tamaki popped out from his terrified composure, gliding to the dirty blonde American. She smiled, grabbing his hand before they all mustered up the energy to continue through the day.

--

"It's the same place."

Her hazel eyes fluttered, wrapping her arms more around the blonde's right arm as he replied with a slight nod. The group made their way to the same sushi restaurant where they showed the gaijin at her first visit to the country. She looked up to Tamaki, feeling all the reasons she was there fluttering back into her heart as the two stared deeply and lovingly with one another.

"Oh, Buddha, we do not need this lovey dovey crap so early in the day," spoke Hikaru with his younger brother nodding to his statement.

"Hikaru, it's only four." Hikaru hushed her, which made the brunette just roll her eyes.

"It's almost like a triple date." Rebecca pointed to all the couples until she viewed the raven hair vice president. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I did not mean that."

Kyouya looked from the menu, then letting his hand flap at her. "No offense taken. I prefer to date normal girls."

"What's that suppose to mean!" unison Haruhi and Nami standing up. Click. Another priceless picture, Rebecca thought.

"I'm only presenting the facts of the matter—the ladies here carry extraordinary personalities, mannerisms, and ways of thinking compared to the ordinary girls in our school."

The three girls looked at one another then letting their glances back to Kyouya who coolly wrote down what he wanted to eat. If he was one of the other boys, they would express the extreme distaste of his comment— but no matter what they said or how they would physically or verbally attack, he would one up them either now or later. Kyouya was really one of the most dangerous people in Japan.

"Don't worry, Becca, you are too cute in my eyes." Tamaki pulled her view back on him—literally pulling the tip of her chin with his finger for her to see his sapphire eyes.

"And that makes me very happy, Tamaki baby." She cuddled to him; he cuddled to her. The twins shared the same glowering face.

"Tamaki, since we are all here, why don't we talk about how we have to start looking for new host members."

The blonde looked over to the informative raven hair boy, sensing the expression of duty wash over him, but once he looked back to Rebecca, she peered up to him with pouting lips and sorrowful hazel eyes. When looking closely into her eyes, he began to mirror the same expression as he looked over to Kyouya.

"B-but, Kyouya, my girlfriend just came into town." He whimpered as Rebecca began to look at Kyouya with the face she showed Tamaki. These two were really made for each other, Kyouya thought.

"We need to start looking or we're not going to be having the business we used to have." He opened his book, indicating the change of profit that might happen in the next school year. It was true with Hunny and Mori gone, the girls who were their clients probably be too distress to continue going to the club. The group would either have to pull in new host members to balance out the lost or they would have to commute to trying new events.

"Kyouya, why don't you just wait until school starts," proclaimed Haruhi, intently thinking. "The first years might bring a lot of new varieties."

"Yeah, you might can find a jock in the bunch." Rebecca began flexing her arms. "Seems most girls like an athletic kind of guy."

"Do you, Becca?" Tamaki asked the question, plopping his index finger into his mouth while batting his eyes hoping she would not say so. The president was known for being a athletic, but he was mostly a charmer.

"I prefer you." Her eyes batted lightly, her cheeks reddening. So cute, Tamaki thought. He lowered his face down, wanting to touch her skin with his lips. He closed his eyes, puckering his lips until…"Oh my gosh, I just had a brain fart!"

The group chuckled amongst one another, watching the ultra disappointing president brooding slightly beside the searching Rebecca. She rummaged through her messenger bag, eyes growing with slight excitement as she pulled out a black book. The covered, everyone identified as leather, was thick, decorated with bright silver words that said "Friends".

"This is my friendship book!" She opened the book onto the table, slowly letting her fingers turn the pages. "All of these are pictures of my favorite picture of my favorite people."

She smiled hearing the laughter and comments from everyone seeing different parts of her life. There were pictures that went from her middle school days with skateboard guys and girls in the parks, her female outings with various places such as the beach or the ice cream parlor, and then going into her early high school years, filled with extreme mixtures of people with their own artistic equipments.

"Look! I have a section for you guys." Rebecca began to flutter through the book. "Look, we'll start here."

They looked down, embracing the vision of the pictures she took while she visited in late January. The first picture was of Tamaki talking excitingly to Hunny as the shorter blonde stuffed cake into his mouth; the second capturing the twin caressing and hugging one another as their clients swooned and fainted. Another picture was with Kyouya studying his notebook while holding onto Tamaki's jacket, who seemed like he was about to pounce on someone. The next was Haruhi and Nami drinking teas, sitting in chairs as the twins stood behind them talking to the girls. The next, Tamaki and Haruhi singing within the karaoke place as everyone covered his or her ears. Then there was a picture of Hikaru and Haruhi holding hands as they walked up the hill, and another of Nami punching Kaoru in the side of his arm. The pictures went on and on until the last was of everyone standing in front of the airport—Tamaki showing a blushing, goofy smile as Rebecca tugged on his arm, Nami and Kaoru displaying peace signs with Mori right behind them with resting Hunny on his shoulders, Kyouya stood displaying his usual evil smile and Hikaru placing his arm over Haruhi's shoulders. She was only there for a couple of days, yet she captured and mixed into the group smoothly and perfectly.

"These pictures are amazing!" Tamaki smiled at the blushing gaijin.

"They actually are." Kyouya inspected them a little more closely then looked over to Rebecca. "You should help make a calendar or a booklet of the host members. It would help with our sales and advertisements."

"Really, he always thinks about business," whispered Nami to Haruhi.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind, especially if it helps Tamaki baby." She grinned at him, collecting the wonderful glance of the blonde's sapphire eyes.

"Really, you guys should get a room—I'm serious," commented Hikaru, which made everyone either laugh or smile.

--

"So did you miss me?"

Rebecca did not know why she had to ask since she already knew the answer—but hearing his answer was so much better. She walked along side Tamaki, gripping onto his hand as they walked along the street. The sunset was creeping onward, yet Rebecca wanted to enjoy the rest of her first day back with her boyfriend. Boyfriend—she chuckled mentally to think she really had one of those. She looked up to him, seeing the giddy, ecstatic face of the president. He really was a good boy, she thought—she gripped his hand.

"You know, I have a calendar in my room—a huge calendar, and I counted down till this day to it." Rebecca smiled, listening to the cheerful tone of his voice—that was what she liked about him the most; his voice was an art in itself.

"Well, I counted on my fingers." They shared a laugh, Tamaki pulling her closer. "I mean, I seriously could not wait during the time I left till now."

"I'm so glad you're here." The president turned to her, adjusting her gaze to his eyes. "Now I have someone who wants to look at Japanese culture."

Her eyes grew, her smile widened. It truly was a gift that they had one another. "I know I'm so excited. We should eat out to every big restaurant!"

Tamaki began to list the things he has wanted to do. "We should go see Kabuki Theater!"

"I've always wanted to visit shrines and the Japanese gardens!" Rebecca clapped her hands, feeling the hype in the conversation.

"Plus the hot spring!" Tamaki felt his mouth freeze, collecting drifting thoughts that Rebecca might be seeing. To go to a hot spring—it was almost as if he crossed the line of being a gentlemen.

"Yes, a hot spring! I've never been to one!" Tamaki did not know if she understood what he was thinking, but he was not going to be the one to ask the questions.

Rebecca held onto Tamaki's arm, both ceasing the conversation and observing the actions around them—the slight breeze of the wind, the glowing reddish orange in the sky, the loud acoustic playing in Rebecca's messenger bag…. Wait.

"Becca, I think your phone is going off." The gaijin unwrapped her arms around the president's arms, looking within her bag to feel the vibration of her phone. She pulled it out as Tamaki heard the acoustic playing with a siren voice accompany the ring tone.

"Oh, geez…" Rebecca did not want to answer it, reading the person who was calling. But what kind of daughter would she be. "Hi, pops, what's up?"

Tamaki held his voice in, knowing some parents would be angered if their children were dating. He began to watch his girlfriend speak to her phone.

"Well, Dad, I did that." She puffed out her cheeks and pouted her lips, which triggered the blonde to awe in Rebecca's cuteness. "I'm out with Tamaki baby…who's that? My boyfriend!"

Tamaki, terrified to hear a shout of anger from the other side of the phone, heard only loud chirping and seeing a smiling Rebecca. Maybe everything would go smoothly and they would go back to their alone time.

"Okay, I'll see in a few then." There was a little response from the other side of the phone that made the punk photographer laugh. "Sure, I don't think he'll mind. Bye!"

She ended the call, placing her phone back into the bag. Rebecca turned back to Tamaki, smiling happily while her arm slipped around his once more. The indication of such sweet affection soothed the host member. He could spend the rest of the date standing there with her gripping him and he would not care. The moment was theirs, and all they had was each other.

"My parents want to meet you immediately." Shit, there went that idea—out the door.

--

Anticipation was all he felt, sitting within his limo to her home. He looked out within the window, seeing her home spread along the vast land. Her home, away from the city, perched on the earth surrounded by various Japanese sakura trees and Japanese tree lilacs—a Japanese two-story villa presented on the lands, sturdy with wooden triangle tops and crème colored walls. The home, smaller to the mansions he had seen, presented a sense of historical, countryside atmosphere yet upholding an expensive look.

"You're house looks like very nice." Rebecca tugged on his hand.

"My old man and mom wanted somewhere peaceful to work with a sense of history." She shrugged her arms. "I told them as long as if it did not feel like an old shrine and I can have my dark room, I'll be fine."

The driver stopped the limo, opening the door for Rebecca to jump out—which she did. She looked back to Tamaki, waiting for him to follow. He sat there, cling his arms around his torso.

"Tamaki baby, let's go," she softly cooed.

"I can't." He began to pout, feeling the anxiety build within his body again. "What if they don't like me?"

"They'll like you, I promise."

Tamaki's eyes looked at her, studying if she was just trying to make her feel better. "I dunno."

Rebecca placed her hands on her hips, huffing to his stubbornness. "I would know my parents, hun—I will be right there if it get too uncomfortable for you."

Rebecca placed her hand out to him, his eyes brushing against the ligament. He knew he could trust her—she helped him out within the months by pushing him to go forward from his heartbreak over Haruhi. When there were days when all he would talk about was the brunette, Rebecca kept a light, uppity voice within their conversation. He knew with all her selflessness, she deserved him to at least try. At least for her sake.

Tamaki pulled himself out the limo, smiling sheepishly to the glowing American girl. Her smile, carrying only happiness for his obedience, pushed a heat through his body that only made him think one thing—She was so cute.

The two walked into the home, Tamaki's eyes darting to his environment. The rooms, garnished with black and whites photographs and painted pictures, stretched widely with items from different countries. He was amazed to brush his sapphires eyes with artifacts from Africa, furniture from Italy, and rugs from Thailand. The place felt so artistic, so liberal, so lively. No wonder he could feel the pain in his neck as he turned sharply to see the different things in her home.

"Rebe, you're home?" Tamaki's eyes darted seeing an older woman walk down a flight of circular stairways. The woman smiled, her blonde locks swept up into a messy bun as her light brown eyes brightened to the view of the two high school students. She cleaned her hands into her paint-covered apron that sat on top of her brown tank top and green cargo capris. Her beauty was a matured, natural one, which glowed along her face with the mixture of freckles and paint along her cheeks.

"Why, hello!" The woman grinned happily, gathering the physical structure of Tamaki. "You must be the boyfriend."

Tamaki smiled, not knowing how to reply but felt his old ways of being a charmer rise within his body. "Yes, I am. I am Tamaki Souh." He bowed gracefully, letting his eyes brush against hers when he rose back to his previous stance.

The woman felt her cheeks slightly redden, pressing her hands to feel the warmth in her cheeks. "Wow, what a nice, handsome boy."

Rebecca watched her mother's eyes view the boy, which made the daughter just shake her head. Of course she knew of Tamaki to be a charmer, but to easily allure her mother was horrible to see.

"Mom, you have paint on your face." The woman broke her glace, feeling the embarrassment arise. She took to her apron, using the article of clothing to wipe her face.

Rebecca walked closer to the blonde host member, lightly elbowing him as she whispered, "Stop trying to flirt with my mom."

"I was only being polite." He smiled to her as his eyes viewed a man joining them.

"Oh, so you are here!" The man wiped his forehead as his shaggy brown locks crept along his shoulders. He carried himself a little rugged with his daring hazel eyes and five o'clock shadow. He wore only a simplistic green shirt and black pants, but in his hand, he was holding onto two slips of finished photography paper.

"Ryan, do I have anything on my face?" The man looked to his wife, her fingers still trying to wipe whatever was left on her appearance.

He took to her side, placing his hand on her cheek to stroke off the bit of paint—their eyes met at first just brushing against one another, but they felt their hearts flutter, which both teenagers could feel the change within the atmosphere.

Rebecca huffed, waving her hands to protest. "Mom, Dad, hello! We have a guest, stop acting like you're the only two in the room!"

The two parents fluttered their eyes connecting their glances to them instead of one another. Rebecca was use to this—it was as if her parents never got old and they believed to be only newly weds. She glared at them, making them remember _who_ asked to see Tamaki as they only sheepishly smiled.

"It's nice to meet you!" Ryan walked over to Tamaki, making the blonde feel a little intimidated. His sapphire eyes wavered when seeing Ryan have his hand out. He slowly took it, feeling the strength in Rebecca's father hand. His eyes darted to the older man's eyes once he felt the grip tightening and pain began to overflow. Ryan's deep hazel displayed a spark of overpowering until a simple, warning cough came from his wife—He let his hand go.

"My name is Ryan Taylor and this is my wife Amelia." The older woman's smile grew, which Tamaki began to mirror.

"You know, Mom, Tamaki is also half French from his mother's side." Amelia's eyes widened, her cheeks slightly reddening from the connection.

"Really? I'm from France myself before I moved to the states." Amelia ran up to the blonde host member smiling happily as she took his hand. "I knew it—I felt such a French persona, that charm is nothing but from our country."

Amelia began to speak within a French dialect, which Tamaki began to pick up and respond. They conversed with one another back and forth, chuckling and grinning to the new information.

"No wonder such beauty radiates within your smile so easily." Amelia felt her cheeks warm once more, her hands trying to shield her embarrassment. But as the woman began to giggle, Tamaki could feel two certainly negative auras within the room—one from the annoyed Rebecca who crossed her arms with a scoff, the other from a jealous, slightly irate Ryan who was beginning to crumble the slips of pictures within his hand. This was not starting out to be a good first impression.

--

Ryan's hazel eyes darted to the couple sitting beside one another at the table. Rebecca, observing her mother placing the food on the table, was too busy to see the darts mentally being thrown in her father's glance to Tamaki. The blonde host sheepishly smiled yet interested to see the food flourished in front of him—bowls of ramen noodles, grilled chicken topped with mushrooms and spinach, and Romaine lettuce salads topped with almonds, mandarin oranges, tomatoes, and vinaigrette dressing. So simplistic, he adored the naturalistic scene of the meal—it felt as if he was part of the family instead of a guest. He praised the woman's way of thinking.

"Sorry about the meal—I'm still learning to cook." Never mind about her way of thinking, he thought.

Ryan took his salad, began eating into the mixture of vegetables and fruit. "I know you're used to something more expensive looking, but this is what we normally eat."

Tamaki picked his hand up, waving them to protest the idea of his upper level living. "No, actually, I love this type of food. It's to the basic, which is good for your health!"

Rebecca smiled to the blonde, watching him dig into his salad, but the comment only made the man want to decipher this boy even more. When his eyes first met the boy, he already could see the heartbreaker in the blonde—his devilish smile, his sinful eyes, his daring body mannerisms. He was a sex object, walking around alluring any type of woman. The evidence was when he was watching his own wife Amelia become swept into the lavish of compliments. He needed to see if this boy was truly good for her daughter or if he was going to become a problem.

"Dear, you're chewing on your fork!" Amelia's freckled face appeared in the brunette's gaze, ripping him away from his thoughts. Once he came back to reality, he could feel all eyes on him and taste the cold steel within his mouth.

Rebecca arched her eyebrow, wondering why her father was being different from usual, but decided to just skip the thought.

"So, Tamaki, did you live in France?"

Tamaki stopped his chewing, leveling his cheerful eye glance to the mother. "Why, yes. I lived with my mother until I was fourteen."

Ryan felt thoughts pop up into his head, picking various questions to his head. "So you live with only your mother here?"

"No, I live with my father here." He took his drink of water and sipped. "My father is superintendent of the Ouran High School."

"Oh, isn't that wonderful!" Amelia smiled to Rebecca, giving a slight approval to her daughter.

"I see…." He questioned the deal with the boy's living arrangements and the relationship between the parents, but decided that meddling in other people's business would only derive havoc. "So do you do anything within the school—any programs or after school events?"

"Well, I'm president of the host club at school." He smiled, feeling pretty proud of his club and his position within it, but the two parents slightly looked at one and then their daughter.

When they came to the country, they were mildly studying hard with the entertainments of Japan. Once introduced to host bars, they were introduced to the idea of men and women flirting and submitting themselves to clients. Of course both never went to such places, but their ideas went from thinking of the places as adult content. To think such a place was on campus and that their daughter's first boyfriend was the president, they could not help but to display the expressions of how they felt—fully surprised.

"So you're telling me, you flirt with women all afternoon?" asked Ryan, eyeing the boy for concrete, honest answers.

"Well, yes, but it is mostly just pleasing our clients with interactions and connections through conversations and food." Tamaki could not see the problem, but Rebecca could sense something was rising.

"Um, so you're flirting with girls, but you have deemed yourself my daughter's boyfriend?" Ryan felt his anger slightly rise, but Amelia placed his hand on his shoulder.

Tamaki closed his mouth, sensing his anxiety coming back. Maybe he should not speak anymore.

"Father, it's nothing to be ashamed—so what if he is a ladies' man on the outside." Rebecca looked up to Tamaki. "He's my ladies' man."

Tamaki's sapphire eyed darted to her, wondering why she let those wording slip her mouth but all she did was shrug. In any case, he did not believe that using such a phrase was pleasing to her father at all.

"I-I…" The blonde felt himself becoming a small being in the chair as he felt Ryan's gaze at him—in an instance he felt a hand beside him, which he took as Rebecca. He looked over, but within her hand was a piece of paper.

He took the paper instantly, not letting the older couple see him, opening to read to see what it read. His eyes met it; indicating the words saying, "Talk about his latest work."

Tamaki thought for a moment, collecting the midnight conversation he had with Rebecca about her father. He knew he was working on a documentary within Japan, which the older man was excited about. But could changing of the conversation like that really help?

"So, Taylor-kun, I heard that you are working on a photo-documentary about Japanese culture?" His voice wavered through the whole question, feeling his fear creeping as Ryan just pierced at him with his eyes. But once his suggestion of the American dad's work was presented, Ryan's eyes faltered into a gleam of affection and happiness.

"Why, yes!" Ryan felt his mouth grin madly as he pushed himself away from the table. His feet took their part, helping the man to one of the other room.

Tamaki's eyes carried suspicion within the instant change of atmosphere as he listened to the females of the house sighing with relief. He looked over to Amelia, letting her hand rest against her chest; she looked over to the blonde with her calm caramel eyes.

"Thank you for that, Tamaki. My husband can be a little dramatic when meeting boys or other men around us." She began to eat her ramen.

Rebecca placed her elbows on the table, letting her head rest in her hands. "I'm sorry, Tamaki baby. Daddy promised that he was better—I knew I should has threaten him with my taser once I got to the house."

Tamaki's sapphire eyes grew in disbelief. "You have a taser?"

"Yeah, mostly for annoying paparazzi and my dad to calm down." She watched him just give her a raised eyebrow. "Hey, people have to live—don't judge."

As soon as the slight conversation happened, Ryan appeared back in the dining room with a collection of folders and photographs in his hand. He pushed the bowls of food aside, resting the artifacts along the table for the blonde to see. His eyes entangled the view of beautiful articles of locations and events that appeared within Japan. His eyes danced with delight at the picture of priestesses undergoing a ceremony and pictures of the holy places within the mountains and countryside cities.

"Right now, I'm working on the purification of the Japanese soul—well, that's what I'm calling it." He rummaged through the pictures, displaying his work to the host. "I've visited shrines, undergoing the sacred ceremonies and visiting places where monks travel."

Tamaki picked up a picture of monks eating within a small hut, keeping their stature of peace and determination as they ate their food. The photo captured the constant work of the monks, keeping themselves holy and appreciating what Buddha has given them. The picture spoke volume yet so simple—Tamaki was amazed with the photojournalist's work, yet he understood why his work was so valuable.

"These pictures are amazing—they capture the essence of the spiritual environment." Ryan's mouth twitched upward as he was startled by the wise words of the blond. "Indeed your work surpasses many who use a camera."

"Why, you flatter!" Ryan felt his cheeks reddened, smiling with ultimate happiness as he touched his cheeks—this actually frightened Rebecca and Amelia.

"You really like it, Tamaki baby?" asked Rebecca—of course she has always admire her father's work, but she did not think Tamaki would be intrigue.

He nodded his head numerous times, looking over the different pictures. "It is like it heightens my interests into searching parts of the Japanese cultures."

"Yes, exactly!" The father placed his hands happily on the table, leaning over toward the boy. "I'm hoping to next visit many of the places for geishas."

"Geishas!" Tamaki shrilled in slight happiness, grasping Ryan's hands. "Those beauty women working hard to accommodate their clients, yet their truest hearts and feeling maybe for another."

His sapphire eyes looked over to Rebecca, making the punk blonde smirk her lips. Their glances held, as the parents looked to one another then back at them. They could feel the slip of their affection entrapping one another when only their eyes were being held. No touch, no words, only their eyes—yet with their eyes, Rebecca's parents ultimately can say that something right there was true.

Ryan sat back into his chair, rubbing his scruffy chin once Tamaki decided to sit back in his seat. "So—may I ask a personal question, Mr. Souh?"

Tamaki felt the anxiety reach under his skin once more, but once he felt the slip of Rebecca's hand under the table, he felt better once again. "Yes, sir."

Ryan eyed him closely, sipping from his cup as Amelia placed a noticeable hand on his. "Do you like my daughter?"

"Of c—"

"No, I mean, do you care for her?" He finished his drink, placing the glass on the table and gripping onto his wife's hand. "Do you look at her and see someone who you could date only, someone who can be the only one to make you weak, the only person who you would go get, in the middle of the night, get a bag of figs where only two stores—"

Amelia punched her husband roughly in the arm, glaring at him for a moment until he sheepishly gave an apologetic smile.

"No, I don't."

They all looked to him, seeing a serene face presented on Tamaki. He looked over to Rebecca, gripping onto her hand with a short of strength yet her eyes wavered from knowing what he would say.

"I see Rebecca as someone who can make me strong, someone who understands my fits of discovery within Japanese culture, someone who would baby me and I could baby." He touched her face, forgetting all the worries—her face was so warm, so smooth, so goofy, but it was natural "I see Rebecca as someone who I could love from the point it happens till the day I die."

Rebecca pulled back only slightly, taking in his words—she read his sapphire eyes, those serene baby blues she shivered when looking into. Life was always a playground for her. She paraded around, taking pictures, jumping to the excitement of something new. And yet, at this very moment, she wanted to just believe in this moment—capturing it only in her mind and heart. Click.

The two high school students looked over, finally realizing that they had an audience—Ryan held out his digital camera, appearing with a smug smile while Amelia glowed with her freckled face. That's when Rebecca panicked.

"Dad, why did you do that?" Rebecca hid herself under the table as Tamaki watched her.

"It was too good to let pass!"

--

"Sorry about my dad!" The two of them slipped out once dinner was done. Rebecca swept her hand into his, pulling him outside to wait for his limo to return. The pink highlights swept within her blonde hair, almost sparkling when the stars hit her head. It was almost magical.

"No problem." Tamaki smiled happily, lingering his attention into the softness of her hand in his. "He was only being a father."

"Well, just remember how to get him back on a good side—" She pointed a finger at him; smiling with the most impish smirk he has ever seen on her lips. "His work with the ultimate compliments."

"But I can see why he is rich now—his work is fabulous." His voice chirped with instant excitement, which made her think that he truly did appreciate art.

Within seconds, the two students watched his limo arrive, gliding on the pavement in front of the villa. Tamaki continued his glance on the limo, but Rebecca looked up to him. His previous words at the table struck her immensely—When he refused his father's question, she felt a part of her cry for a moment, wondering how he truly felt about her. Was she just another girl to make up for the times he wanted to do things with Haruhi? No, she was much more. Her heart fluttered, actually taking reality maturely, and for the first time in her life, she was happy with a boy. To think fate really was on her side.

"Tamaki—you meant every word?" He looked down to her—her face blushed brightly as her hand crept to his chest.

"Every word." He bent down, collecting her lips with his—soft, plump American lips with his luxurious, Japanese lips. They both downed into the ecstasy of their taste, something they both missed within the time spent away from one another.

Anticipation was what he felt, holding onto her—she came into his life only for a view of the school but stayed to be someone he would treasure. Her hair and her style may have change, but her spastic, bubbly, unique perspective would always be her identity.

"Aw, that's so cute!" Click.

The two looked back to the house, Ryan taking a picture while Amelia just clapped her hands together.

"Seriously, dad!" Rebecca turned to them, waving a fist into the air. "I'm seriously going to ram your head into the trashcan."

Tamaki walked to his limo, smiling to the family that may—if time plays well with fate—one day be part of his.

--

A/n: Yay, Rebecca's back—I thought about it, and I seriously think those two (Tamaki and Rebecca) would so be the lovey dovey couple. I mean, Tamaki is a hopeless romantic and Rebecca is one to voice how she feels. Plus Rebecca's family was pretty funny to make. Ryan is really like my dad—if you make a compliment to something he likes, he'll totally love you.

Keep tight to the next chapter—It's going to be one of the turning points.

P.s. Review!!


	18. Dancing around the Truth

A/N: Hello, everyone

A/N: Hello, everyone! I had to start on the next fic quickly—the anticipation on it was killing me. Now, be warned now—this chapter is going to pretty much get you on the edge of your seats…maybe not, but still, be prepared!!

Oh, and thank you emmy for clarifying some things for me.

Chapter 18

Dancing around the Truth

"Cherry blossoms are pretty kick ass."

Nami looked up from the blanket to see the floating cherry blossoms drifting through the sky. Her eyes brightened to see the bright sun glittering the background to the drifting plants—she was not use to those flowers since she lived in boarding schools away from Japan. Nevertheless, she was thankful to witness the beauty within her environment.

"Ermm…stop moving around." Nami looked down into her lap, observing Kaoru's head resting within it, as he nuzzled against her jeans. He only came hear to say hello, bring her small present, but he decided to bring stay longer with her. Nami's lips curved into a smile, observing the innocence within his drifting slumber on her—it was rare to see him in such an innocent scene. To see him without his wicked smile once and a while was actually adding to their scenic location.

Nami ran her hand through her shaggy hair, chuckling to her thoughts within her head. To think time has been very kind to her, letting her connect to amazing friends and actually having a boyfriend—she had someone to call her own. She hated to be like any other girl, but he really did make her happy.

She slipped her hand into his hair, running through the auburn hair that lay in her lap. Nami could hear a slight moan from Kaoru's mouth. His eyelids twitched when her fingertips made their way softly against his cheek—even giving him the slightest touch, she could feel the slight shiver within her body. They had one more week until school started, but if time stopped right at that moment, she would not mind. Everything seemed to be where it should be.

"I love you." It was only a whisper from her mouth—if he was awake, she would never had said it. Their relationship was shy of three months, but she knew it was true. Liking him was hard to see, but loving him was easier after being around him.

"Well, well. I would have never known little Nami would have a boy so quickly into her grasp."

Nami felt her mouth hang, feeling a shadow rest apon her back. The voice, a sweet, sultry one, crept into her ear, which triggered memories within her head. She looked over her shoulder to see, and once the being was identified, the swimmer quickly jumped up, knocking Kaoru from her grasp.

"Dammit, Nami, why did you do that?"

Kaoru picked himself from the ground, looking up to his girlfriend. Once he saw her eyes, he could only see her gazing intently at someone. He peered around him while picking himself up—an older woman, being only a couple of inches shy of Nami, held her hands on her hips. Her long raven hair flowed down with curls as her fiery, caramel eyes looked to the girl before her. She was a beautiful woman, presented with lavish long sleeve, red shirt, snuggly gripping her form accompanied with black trousers. Kaoru had no idea who this woman could be, but once seeing his astonished girlfriend's expression, he could only wait.

"Little Nami, you've grown so much." The older woman smiled as she began to walk closer to the swimmer.

Nami shook her head, trying to grasp the reality of the event. "Mama!"

Kaoru did not understand the incident at all, but he could have sworn Nami said 'Mama' within such a girly voice. The swimmer grasped the woman into an embrace, letting the woman pat numerous times along her back. The exchange was a scene to see—once placed together, he could see the resemblance. Yet Nami's mother carried a more matured, sensual look than what the young tomboy could offer.

"Mama, when did you get here?" Nami kept her girlish voice going, happily touching her mother's face. "Have you been eating well, did you get enough rest before your flight?"

"Little Nami, I should be asking you that!" The woman crept up, kissing the corner of the girl's face.

For a moment, their eyes brushed one another, both deepening their smiles. Nami could not believe it—after three years of absence and only phone calls and letters for communication, her mother was within her grasp—she held onto the woman tightly, leaning her head onto the crevice of the woman's neck. This moment was perfect.

"Um…. Nami?"

The swimmer looked to see Kaoru rubbing the side of his neck. He looked quite uncomfortable and unfamiliar on how to act, especially since he was being neglected. Nami broke away from her mother, letting careless chuckles escape her mouth. She turned to her then back to Kaoru, feeling that this was a time to let both her worlds be united.

"Kaoru, this is my mother, Kumiko Yamazaki." He bowed to her deeply, she replied with a simple head nod. "Mama, this is Kaoru Hitachiin—he's my boyfriend."

Kumiko smiled politely, her eyebrow rising slightly to the clarification. Though she felt that this boy meant something to her, knowing he was her boyfriend slightly surprised her. She looked onto his body, eyeing the person to be her daughter's first significant other—he was a little taller than her daughter, carrying fiery hair and impish auburn eyes. The boy lacked muscles, but he was not plain. His distinctive features made him alluring, which made her feel slightly impressed.

She walked over to him, eyeing him with almost seductive type of look. Kaoru braced himself for whatever the woman was planning—she reached her hand out to him, which he accepted hesitantly. Her eyes shined a brilliant caramel to his slightly nervous auburn.

"Kaoru-kun, it is quite the pleasure to meet you." She pulled her hand, grabbing his neck with her other hand when she pulled him toward her.

Nami's eyes grew in slight bewilderment, watching her boyfriend press against her mother in a tight embrace. Of course, he did not mean to be in such a warm, developed situation— her arms were fully wrapped around him, his arms staying away from her waist. This was too much of an embrace for his girlfriend's mother to have with him.

"Mama!" So cutely, Nami felt herself pout her lip, which followed the whiny complaint. "Why do you always do that?"

Kumiko chuckled as she released the blushing younger twin from her grasp. "I was only being affectionate."

"Maybe a little too affectionate." Nami walked over, standing between the two, which resulted a sly grin on her mother's face.

"Well, it's been months since we caught up with one another—how about we have tea and discuss how things are going." Kumiko pulled her daughter's arms with a smile, which resulted in the redhead to follow in pursuit.

--

"I must say that is quite the development."

Kumiko sat within a single chair, brushing her eyes to the teens sharing a loveseat in their sitting room. Nami recalled the story of her adventure through the beginning of her arrival to Japan to the latest of the return of the American girl Rebecca. Within her story, Kaoru would add little tidbits, solidifying the reality of how much the swimmer had went through and what types of friends accompanied her in her life. They all shared laughter, the two teens shared small affection handholding and slight arguing—but overall a nice pleasant timeline.

Kumiko picked up her tea, sipping it while glancing to her daughter. "I'm actually surprised that you have been cured. It must have been a long process."

"It was difficult, but it actually was cured within two weeks." Nami looked over to Kaoru, slightly elbowing him in the arm. "Though some people made it a game to tease me."

Kaoru glared at her, placing his hands in the air. "Hey, I apologized about it."

"You two seem really close." Kumiko smiled, seeing the shift between arguing to the nervous silence between the two before her. "Still, I wish I would have been here to help you."

"Mama, it's okay. You have a job and business to help flourish—I understand the responsibility you must have went through." Nami's eyes met with her mother, making the older woman smile to her daughter's maturity.

"Thank you, Nami." Nami took her tea, sipping it slowly as she felt her happiness reach an all time high. It was still so different to be around her mother, but to achieve her mother's compliment and approval was all she wanted. Her face glowed a brilliant red once she finished her tea.

Kaoru observed the swimmer, finding it quite funny and alluring to see the girl change once her mother was present. The girl was known to be a tomboy with a way with words and a punch that could knock anyone out, but once her mother was around, she became so feminine, filled with compliments, sheer etiquette and pride. Was Nami really herself at school or with her mother?

"Nami—now that we have gotten up to date, I have something to ask of you." Kumiko placed down her tea, looking seriously at her child.

"Mama, whatever it is, I'll be gladly to do it."

Kumiko felt her lips pull into another smile, experiencing such an appreciation for her child. Kaoru, on the other hand, felt that to agree before the deal is even made might cause some sort of strife.

"Thank you, Nami—I knew you would not mind." The woman stood, clapping her hands together as her maids made their way to the room. "All right, we have much to do!"

The maids gladly bowed to their mistress, knowing already what must be done. Nami watched them talk amongst one another as they glided to do the chores her mother gave them, yet she did not know what she agreed to.

Nami stood, feeling Kaoru do the same. "Mama, what is going on?"

Before Kumiko could leave, she turned to her daughter with a hearty smile. "Why, dear, there is so much to do before guests arrive."

"Guests?"

The older woman walked up to her daughter, touching the nape of her neck with sheer affection of her fingertips. "You agreed to have a welcoming performance—I don't know what dances you remember, but starting tomorrow, you will have to have practices until the big day."

Nami stood there, her eyes gaping to her smiling mother. "What?"

"Anything for me, remember, little Nami?" Kumiko placed a dear kiss on the girl's forehead. "We have only three days till the performance."

The woman looked over to Kaoru, knowing his share of the surprise. "And I hope you will be there, too, Kaoru-kun. I mean, to be my daughter's girlfriend—I know you'll be excited to see her in a tutu and dress."

Kaoru felt his lips turn into a sharp smirk, having his mind envision the swimmer within a tutu. Oh, what a day that will be.

"Mama—"

"Oh, and you must bring your friends!" Kumiko clapped her hands together, feeling the sheer happiness as the idea of her daughter on the dance floor once more. "Oh, this will be such an exciting night."

With that, Kumiko made her way, moving her hips to a slight rumba movement as she departed from Nami and Kaoru. Nami stood, collecting how this previous scene just happened. Her mouth hung only slightly, her hand rubbing part of her temple. She should had known the favor would be a big one, yet her mother just came into town and so her logic was utterly fogged with her excitement. As she began to curse under her breath, she could hear the slight chuckling from the boy beside her.

Nami turned to him, raising her eyebrow just so slightly before he looked to her with such a goofy smile, saying, "Tutu?"

Her eyes made an instant glare to him—and so did a sharp jab to his stomach.

--

"Nami-sama!"

Nami walked into the vast dancing room, which rested within the center of her home—she rarely, visited the room, looking only to reminisce the memory of her mother. She walked in wearing the leotard and pink leg warmers her mother ordered the maids to give her. Her eyes glanced the scene, seeing that her mother and her were not alone.

As soon as she walked closer to the center, a girl ran up to her, embracing her tightly to send the swimmer to slight anxiety attack. As she tried to pry the girl away, she looked down to see a girl with light brunette hair and light blue eyes. The girl indeed classified as a product of feminine beauty, stood waiting for the taller girl to speak to her. At first glance, Nami had no idea who it was until her mother spoke her name.

"Azumi, if you continue grabbing Little Nami like that, I will not allow you to be her partner," order Kumiko with a slight grin.

"But Yamazaki-sensei—" The girl began to pout her lips, letting her hands hold onto Nami's hand.

"Zuzu? Zuzu-chan!" The brunette looked back at her, widening the smile on her face.

"You did remember me! I knew you would!" The girl placed her head on Nami's chest, her hand sliding around the swimmer's waist.

"H-how could I not?" It was true that she did remember the girl—If it weren't for the years during her middle school life when the little brunette followed Nami everywhere, laying out confessions of affection and admiration, she would have never really known the girl. The girl really wanted to be her friend, Nami thought.

"Nami-sama, is it true that you have a boyfriend?" Nami nodded, seeing Azumi slightly sniffling with a pout to her mouth. "How can this be? I have waited over three years to see you once more to reclaim your love--but you have moved to men, the very species you were afraid of?"

"Zuzu, you're gay?" Nami's eyes fluttered, taking in the new information as the girl slightly nodded her head.

"Ladies, may we start practice?" The two girls looked over to the mother, glancing at her tapping foot as the other dancers looked with sheer amusement.

Azumi nodded, entangling her hand with Nami for a moment longer until she glided to the line of dancers before her excitement took over. Kumiko walked over to her daughter, gracing her shoulder with one of her hands as she presented herself before the group.

"As you all know, we will be welcoming a very special group of people within several days." The group shared slight conversation with one another before Kumiko decided to push forward with her speech. "Since we have only a small amount of time, I'm looking to have ten total hours of practice a day, though it will be broken down into five sections within the recital— The ballet of Nami and myself, the Vietnamese waltz with Sebastian and Clara, contemporary duet with Azumi and Nami, the rumba with Marco and Riana, and the seductive tango of Nami and Antonio."

Nami's emerald eyes grew into hearing that she would be included three of the five dances—It was one thing that the swimmer would be involved within the recital, but it was another thing that for the next three days she would be in the dancing hall for six hours. She felt herself already becoming tired within this first day.

"Now, I know it'll be hard work, but I'm counting on everyone to do their best." Kumiko gripped Nami, knowing the thoughts of her daughter by looking at her face. "Doing this for me will be the most highest appreciation I could feel for any of you."

The group looked at one another, clapping their hands with encouragement to complying their sensei's wishes. Nami let a sigh race through her mouth, looking over her shoulder to see her mother's smiling face. If her mother wanted the world, she would give it to her. A couple of hours a day of practice was not going to kill her.

--

"I can't feel my body!" She fell back into Kaoru's bed, feeling her own spirit wanting to escape her body. Her legs, her arms, her torso—almost every inch of her body was screaming from the two days of agonizing torture. Of course she was use to swimming for two hours everyday, but that was different—she practiced within the last two days from nine in the morning to four in the afternoon with nonstop moving and dancing. Her body was made to swim not becoming a delicate dancer.

Kaoru, Haruhi, and Hikaru looked at the girl—her arms and legs sprawled out on the bed as they either sat in chairs or on the floor. Never have they seen the swimmer in such a predicament when she could not even move her body. Yet, the moment when they heard she would be dancing in front of people, they felt nothing but intriguing thoughts to the event.

"Well, tomorrow's the big day! You have one more practice and then the event," noted Kaoru brushing her raven locks from her face. He took a seat on the bed with her, which would make her nervous, but she could not even react to his movement.

"I can't believe you're practicing with only that small amount of time," spoke Hikaru as Haruhi nodded her head.

"If it was not for the fact that Mama taught me the dances when I was younger, I think I would not be able to learn." Her hand slowly moved to Kaoru, directing him to rub her hair, which he did.

"I can't wait to see the tutu on you," joked Kaoru with his wicked smile.

Nami glanced up to him, piercing him with her emerald eyes. "If I could punch you, I would."

They all smiled at Nami, but Haruhi felt something was not right. "Nami, do you even know who the guests are?"

"Well, you guys, Tamaki, Rebecca, and Kyouya—Mama didn't tell me who. I asked her today, but all she did was smile." Nami did not know if this was something she should and needed to know, but the absent information of the guests were actually making her nervous.

"Well, whoever it is, it must be someone special since she's doing all of this." Nami nodded her head as she pulled herself up from the bed. Oh, the burning pain within her back was coming all too familiar.

"Take it easy tonight, okay? You need to rest." She felt Kaoru place a helping hand to her, making her cheeks glow with only a light complexion of scarlet.

"I will." Nami smiled, resting her back onto part of Kaoru's chest. Hikaru and Haruhi smiled, rising from their seats.

"I think we'll be leaving you two alone." The older twin grasped onto the brunette's hand as the brunette waved her hand to the two.

Kaoru gave them an appreciative smile, gliding her arm around Nami's waist. Of course he did not intentionally want the two to leave, but he felt that maybe he could give the encouragement for Nami. His encouragement for her he knew would be for only the two of them.

Nami watched them leave, feeling Kaoru's arm tugging on her slightly. The pain was only a small item of how she felt at that moment. She looked up to Kaoru's face, seeing the impish smile she loved. His fiery eyes brushed against hers, grasping onto her attention for the moment.

"Seriously, I can't wait to see you dance," Kaoru spoke, running his fingers through her hair.

"Really?" She smiled, watching him nod to her question. "Remember when we danced?"

Kaoru's lips parted, remembering the very incident. Tamaki's Christmas was where they dance with one another, her hand slid into his so wonderfully, and his arm around her waist so perfectly. When she appeared in the blue evening gown, she looked like she was a present just for him—that's when he knew.

"That was when I knew you were meant for me." Nami turned her body to him, glowing from the sincerity of his comment.

She placed a hand to his cheek, brushing the skin so softly. "I-I…" Words could not be expressed, so instead, she moved to end the gap between their lips. The pain in her body was forgotten as the pleasure within their kiss ignited something more.

--

"Nami, you look great!"

"Shut up, Kaoru!"

She punched his right arm when she noticed he was not lessening his laughter—but his statement was not a lie. Nami stood—her usual wavy set of hair was curled, which lay closer to the nape of her neck. Her form fit snuggly into a thin strap, white spandex leotard with bodice overlaying to allows just a hint of metallic for the onlooker to peek through as an attached tutu flowed down from her waist to the tip of her knees. Her legs, dressed with light pantyhose, were decorated with white laces to be tied by her ballet shoes. She looked angelic and yet her stance made her tough.

The host club decided to wear their school uniform, minus Haruhi wearing a simplistic pink baby doll dress. They awed at the presence of Nami's outfit, but knew if they looked too long, they would suffer the same fate as Kaoru. Rebecca, wearing a thin strap black dress that touch to her knees, began series of pictures, pushing the girl into many poses. She had never seen the girl so feminine—she just had to capture it.

"Knock it off, Rebecca!" She glared to the gaijin who simply shrugged.

"Sorry, it's just you're in a tutu—and it's just screaming at me to take a picture." One more, she thought, her hands gripping onto the camera, but Tamaki graced her shoulder with a hand of protest.

"Nami-sama!" Nami felt her muscles stiffened, knowing what was coming next from the incoming person. Azumi glided over to the swimmer, wearing her contemporary, light blue dress, strips of lace flowing with the breeze of her run. The light brunette took Nami's arm instantly, brushing her eyes to meet with the slightly annoyed Nami.

"Well, who is this beauty?" Tamaki grinned, feeling the chance to charm another girl into his circle of admirers. Her sapphire eyes brushed against her sky blue eyes, but as he tried to charm his way to her attention, she glared with daggers of trespassing.

"Um—guys, this is Zuzu…Azumi, she's a dancer who travels with my mother's company," spoke Nami.

"Nami-sama, which one is it?" Nami had no idea what the girl was talking about, but as she read the determination within Azumi's eyes, she understood perfectly.

"Kaoru—" She pointed to the boy who rested on the other side of her. "He's my boyfriend."

With that, Azumi let go of Nami, observing the form of her rival. Everyone watched the younger girl dissect the physical form of the younger twin, Kaoru mentally wondering what this girl was doing. She peered closer to him until she looked over to Nami, standing in front of her with the saddest face.

"You're going out with that? You picked him over me?" Everyone felt himself or herself gawk to the girl who was clearly brushing her hands with Nami's. "I will not tolerate this!"

"Hey, you!" Kaoru spoke up, but Azumi simply hushed him with sticking her tongue out.

"Don't talk to me, you elf!" Nami could not help to let a laugh escape her mouth as Azumi gripped her arm.

Kaoru glared, taking Nami's other arm. "Whatever, at least I can do this." He took Nami's hand, letting small kisses plant against her skin.

Nami felt the shivers flow through her body, making the slightest of her cheek appear to redden—this angered the dancer to take action. "Well, I can do that, too."

With that she took to Nami's hand, but before she could kiss the skin of the swimmer, he feslt a hand tug on the strap of her costume from behind. They all looked, Azumi peeping over her shoulder to see a smug Kumiko.

"My, my, Azumi, they are guests, so you should treat them as guests." Kumiko released her hands from Azumi, the light brunette moping with her lip out—She wanted to kiss the skin of her potential lover.

"Now, if you could, Azumi, please direct the other guests to the ballroom and then warm-up." With that Azumi looked over to Nami, brushing her loving sky blue eyes to her emerald. So tall, so slender, so beautiful—Nami could not be with that elf, she thought. She would make sure of it, and with that, the brunette glided herself to a group of unidentified people.

Nami felt a sigh release from her mouth, glancing to a slightly annoyed Kaoru. "Sorry about her—it was either now or later when you meet her."

"It's okay, I'm not worried—"

"Oh, Kaoru-kun!" His name, said with sheer seductiveness and poise, crept within his ears in a whisper. Nobody even noticed that Nami's mother moved to his side—she pressed herself onto his arm, letting his touch feel the tutu she wore. Kaoru jumped slightly away, watching the slight playful pout appear on Kumiko's face.

"Mama, what did I say earlier?" Nami did not mean to sound annoyed, but she did ask for her mother to behave once her friends were there.

"I could not help it—He's just so darling." Her caramel eyes began their way to the group before her, making suggestive eye glances to each boy. Nami watched as her mother made her way suspecting each boy with her alluring touch before she stood back to her daughter's side.

"My, Little Nami, I did not know you had such handsome friends." Kumiko winked to them, making her daughter just groan at the broken promise—of course her mother was known to be such a flirt.

"As president of the Host Club in Ouran High School, we humbly thank you for your invitation." The blonde, with a flick of his hand to his hair, bowed to the woman, which made the woman grin deeply at him.

Rebecca, plainly feeling a tad jealous, yanked the blonde boy back to standing position. "What did I say in the limo?" He only made a sheepish chuckle.

Kyouya felt he had no real reason of being there—he was glued onto the shadows. He watched his host members talk to the woman until something—err, someone, caught his eye. His eyes darted across the room, a familiar girl, dressed in a thin strap, lavender dress, which formed her curvy body shape till the tip of her calves. Her eyes looked over within the dance hall until she felt a presence looking toward her—she turned her head, resting hey eyes onto the vice president, a smirk forming on her lips.

"Marsala?" The group focused on what Kyouya said, watching him make his way to the girl he was identifying. Her hair, touching the middle of her back, swayed as she quickened her steps to meet the group.

"What is she doing here?" asked Haruhi, not really waiting for someone to comment.

"Nami-chan! Haru-chan!" Once the names were called, their ears picked up a quite familiar voice, making the group look around. As soon as Kyouya made his way to Marsala, her two sisters walked side by side with the former host members Hunny and Mori.

Hunny, dressed within a simplistic Italian shirt and slacks, hopped to the girls he called, hugging Haruhi first then Nami. The group happily welcomed the two boys by hugging or shaking their hands—though Rebecca took the chance to taking pictures. Mori, wearing a silk, black Italian vest, shirt and matching black slacks, caressed Nami on the tip of her head first, which she sent a smile up to him.

"My, this is such a glorious day!" spoke Tamaki, feeling his emotion getting to him once again.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Hikaru, to finally get some answers.

Hunny walked back to Sherry who wore a silver dress with bows in her hair and Chianti, wearing a long, thin strap black dress, made her way to Mori's side. The Florio daughters were here, accompanied with Hunny and Mori—this was either a BIG coincidence or something was being formed.

"We came to watch Nami and Yamazaki-san dance," spoke Hunny gripping onto Sherry's hand.

The twins watched the interactions between both Hunny with Sherry and Mori with Chianti. Chianti's arm rest rested around Mori's so snuggly and Hunny happily took the middle child's hand so quickly.

"Are you guys, uh…." The four, which the group was talking about, looked to one another, feeling the anxiety and the embarrassment of the question fill within their heads—it was so difficult to say, none answer the simple question except for the youngest of the Florio girls.

She walked over with Kyouya, slightly annoyed by her older sisters. "Please, those four have been acting like newlyweds at home—don't let them fool you!"

"Marsala!" warned Chianti, turning to the youngest Italian sister with sheer redness on her face.

"Do not worry, big sister Chianti." Sherry placed a huge smile on her face, which appeared to have a hint of mischief. "Marsala is only happy to now be around a certain boy—I swear, if she say his name in her sleep one more time, I—"

Marsala turned to the smaller sister, her eyes piercing her as she held in her breath. "Sherry!" A warning voice, the two sisters thought.

Chianti smirked, looking to Sherry to join in. "Oh, I know, if I heard the name Kyo-sama one more time, I would go insane as well."

The youngest daughter felt her cheeks burn from the feeling between embarrassment and anger, neglecting the slightly amused and playful smirk of the vice president. Before Marsala could react with a shrilling tone, a mighty cough made its way within the air to break the focus.

A tall man stood, rustling his hand through his short, parted raven hair as his deep emerald eyes made their way through the group. He placed his hand into the pockets of his very refine black slacks as his matching tie flowed down shirt and under his blazer. His smile radiated through the air, captivating any girl who was looking. His emerald eyes made their way to Kumiko—she placed a hand to her chest, feeling the growing sensation when she looked to him. "Ciao, Bella."

Kumiko felt the heat within her cheeks burn, which actually made her daughter look to her in surprise. Nami knew her mother to be a charmer, a woman of affection, a woman of such free spirit—yet she has never seen blushing grace her mother's cheeks so easily.

"I would like you to meet our father, Vincent Florio," announced Chianti, placing a slight hand on the older man's shoulder.

Vincent nodded, glancing to the older dancer with a wide smile. At first glance of him, he was the epitome of how a wealthy, Italian man—his fancy suit gave it away. Nevertheless, his face seemed kind and his features were attractive; no wonder the Florio girls were very striking women.

Vincent brushed his glance with Nami—emerald to emerald. She did not know why, but she could have sworn she saw a spark of nervousness in his eyes.

"Nami, it is almost time to get ready for our performance." Her smiling mother interrupted Nami's thoughts. "Why don't you show your friends their seats while I speak to the Florio family."

Nami nodded her head, quickly grasping Kaoru's hand to guide the group away. Hunny and Mori looked with one another, decided it was best to move with them—thought they came with the Florio, they were not part of the family.

--

Nami leaned on the wall, watching Marco and Riana do their rumba so perfectly—she felt a sigh release from her mouth. Her first dance with her mother went smoothly, yet at times, she felt inadequate beside the woman who took dancing as a career. Their movements were smooth, graceful, but you could see the dominating power within Kumiko. Nami knew her vibe and talent was nothing compared to her mother.

Then her performance with Azumi was very uncomfortable. Of course, she thought of the light brunette as one of her friends, but her weird attraction to the swimmer just made her nervous. The dance itself was a story of a lovers' quarrel—the movement was rigid, quick, and spontaneous. Their bodies had to react to one another as they threw each other and themselves around the room, the arms had to hit each note in the music, and their legs had to be ready for jumps and rolls around the floor. Everything was okay until the end; Azumi decided to clutch for dear life onto Nami, hoping her lips touched hers. It was embarrassing to have to fight off a smaller girl when you were trying to leave the dance floor.

"Nami, we're up." She felt Antonio's breath on her ear, which surprised her instantly. She jumped to her feet, glancing from her shoulders to the amused Latino.

"Antonio, you scared the crap out of me." She turned to the Latino man slightly leaning on her—she crossed her arms together watching rumba once again. They were really good.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." He took her hand as he grinned. "Your boyfriend will especially be happy to see you in this number."

Nami felt her cheeks glow slightly, her thoughts wondering if he meant the dance or the outfit. She fixed her deep scarlet halter-top, which left fabric only for her breasts and straps along her neck, and pulled on her matching red/ black skirt, which flowed from her hips to her knees accompanying with a slit on each side. Antonio rested his hand on each side of the girl's cheeks, glancing to see the red decorative flower sitting in Nami's hair then following his dark eyes to hers. She looked frightened, her body was shaking slightly—he frown to her. Nami was not just his boss's daughter but also his friend.

"Bonita, you have nothing to worry about—you are ready to dance."

Nami shook her head. "I trust your judgment, but I don't know if I can do this in front of Kaoru."

Antonio smiled, finally the problem to be easily solved. "Then pretend I'm Kaoru if it make you more at ease."

Nami felt herself wanting to protest to the idea, but then shut her mouth. In all logical thinking, the idea was a little farfetched and could not physically improve her nervousness. Yet sensing Kaoru in her arms instead of another man would be a big emotional improvement. Nami nodded her head, feeling Antonio's hand drift to her hand.

Within the dance room, Kaoru and the other clapped, watching the last two dancers leave the stage.

"So, this is the last number coming up with Nami?" asked Haruhi looking up to Kaoru.

"Yeah, and thank Kami, it's not with that little brat!" Kaoru could not brush off the feelings of inner resentment when Azumi was trying to plant kisses onto his girlfriends. Of course he did not want anyone to think he was actually jealous—he was just a little peeved that the little nuisance brushed her eyes with him, daring him to make a sound of protest during the performance. If it were not for Nami trying to pry her off while walking off from the dance, he would have made his voice known.

Just as his thoughts were coming to a close, Nami and Antonio walked onto the floor. When everyone glanced to see the swimmer, they were amazed to see the daring set of clothes she wore, which contrasted to Antonio's black slacks and white, button up shirt with the sleeves rolled. Her motioning onto the floor was daring, strutting in a way that none of the host members ever thought the tall girl could muster. Antonio's hand directed her to move around him, his eyes glancing toward her with a wicked, seductive smirk. As the dancers stood carrying the sense of sensuality, Kumiko came to the side to announce the last dance.

"This dance will be performed by my daughter Nami and Antonio. It tells a story of a love between a temptress and a workingman—The man about to walk away, but the woman holds on to him with their love." Kumiko's eyes fluttered to someone, but made its way back to sharing with the whole audience again. "Please enjoy the last dance, the tango."

As soon as Kumiko made her way off the dance floor, the music, filled with a flow of Latin percussion and brass instruments, began to play. Antonio guided Nami away from him, twirling her to break their contact. The swimmer looked back at him, taking his suggestion to heart—her emerald eyes looked onto him, but her vision took in Kaoru's appearance before her. He was her partner now, and he was trying to leave her.

The audience watched the two dancers, observing the sensual, loving mannerism express from Nami's work on the floor with her constant touch to Antonio—Antonio would look away but Nami would pull his cheek to her, kicking her leg up to rest on his chest. Antonio would hold her close, raising her up to the air, but as he looked away, he let go of her, which she reacted with spiral scissor kick, making her way to the ground with a split. He pulled her up; she pulled onto him, wrapping her arms and one leg around as the other leg trailed onto the ground when he pulled her across the floor. She mold into him, he pushed and pulled her away. The movement so fast, but when they were close, their eyes met filled with passion and hope—Passion of a love that was building within them and a hope to create a world with one another.

" I have to get this or I'll burst." Rebecca felt the urge to take pictures, but did not want to distract the dancing—she place her purse on the table, maneuvering her camera under it to peep out with a silence click on the device. It was as if she was capturing the essence but not physically taking it herself.

Kaoru watched her girlfriend dip and press her body with Antonio. To see her with what she was wearing pressing onto another boy, he felt a rush of heated emotion build up. But as soon as she turned with Antonio at a point in the dance, her eyes brushed against his. Once she looked at him, he could tell she was dancing for him. She was not holding onto another man—she was indicating to Kaoru that he was whom she was dancing with. He was her motivation and her ease for this dance, so with that he looked on, admiring her passion and her aura she presented.

Nami wrapped her arms around Antonio's arm, feeling the final touch coming in their dance. He pulled her, spun her out from him, but as she looked to him once more, Nami spun back to him, a quick kick of her leg into the air—Antonio glided his hand onto her back, pushing her into a back flip. Nami felt herself gasp for air until her feet touched the ground once again. She looked up to Antonio, seeing Kaoru's face still on him. Her hands wrapped around his neck, their faces so close. Nami looked into his eyes, letting Antonio wrapped his hands around her waist. The last pose—so passionate, so close, and yet as the song finished, so were they.

Antonio smirked, letting his hands drop to her hands. "We're done." The whisper, filled with only a small amount of tiredness crept within the swimmer's ears as Kaoru's face went away.

Nami's emerald eyes widened—she looked onto the audience, finding Kaoru's auburn. Their eyes brushed one another as everyone stood, cheering and applauding for the last two dancers. Nami smiled, bowing with her partner, but her eyes stayed onto the smirking redhead. No one's approval was more important than his at this very moment.

--

"You were fantastic, Nami-chan!"

Hunny and Sherry hopped in front of Nami who joined the group. Nami patted her elder on the head, smiling to the group as they continued the praises.

"I did not know you could dance like that!" Tamaki felt his heart many times during the performance float into an abyss of happiness. He had always been a fan of the art.

"Thanks, I only danced when I was younger with Mama, but the practices really paid off," replied the swimmer touching the nape of her hair.

"I was surprised that you can do anything like that—femininity is never your forte." Nami could not help but to glare at the vice president, yet decided to only take it as a compliment.

Nami felt material wrap around her, noticing the blue blazer of their school rested on her shoulders. She looked to her left side, seeing the younger twin looking at her with a slight smirk. "You looked cold."

Nami's eyebrow slightly rose, pondering his words. "What is that suppose to mean?"

Kaoru rolled his eyes, pointing to the tango outfit she was still wearing. "Any shorter and I would think you were selling yourself."

"What!" Kaoru felt the pinch in his side, Nami bestowing pain to him. Of course he knew his wording were a little harsh, but she should have changed—he was only being her boyfriend.

"Nami!"

The swimmer looked back to see her mother walking to them with her arms wrapped around the Italian man. Marsala looked at her sisters, feeling a rush of anxiety finally hit them—she took to Kyouya's hand, he looked down to her, which she replied with a deep message in her glance to him. It was time.

Kumiko and Vincent smiled to the teens as they turned their focus on them. The older woman felt her hand shake slightly, her emotions becoming hazardous within her. She felt a larger hand press against hers, her caramel eyes sweeping into the man's emerald. She was not alone, she thought.

"What's up, Mama?" asked Nami, eyeing the exchange between the adults.

Kumiko turned to her daughter, her precious child, smiling while her heart raced within her body. "I want you to meet Vincent Florio."

Nami looked at the group, all of them just as confused as she. "Mom, we met already."

The Italian man looked to the Florio sister's, all three waiting for the moment when he would speak. His emerald eyes brushed against Nami, an unknowing smirk was presented. It was his time to set things straight. "Nami, you don't understand."

The tallest girl looked onto the man, focusing onto what he would say to explain. "I'm your father."

Nami's eyes widened, piercing within his glance to see if he was lying. Her mouth slightly opened, feeling all eyes glances around her were on her. Kaoru watched her girlfriend; letting one of his hands gripped hers. She looked to him for a moment—her skin paled, her sight in a slight daze.

"Nami." The first time she heard him call her name—her **father **was calling her name.

"My father?" He nodded, taking a step to her. "W-why now?"

Vincent brushed his hand within her hair, looking at all his children as he felt the time to tell them was now. "Well, your mother and I want to get married."

"What?" Marsala was the one to speak first, clarifying to the Japanese group that the sisters had no idea of this statement.

Kumiko gripped onto Vincent's arm to let her take the moment to speak. "We love one another—for a very long time."

Nami clenched Kaoru's hand, feeling herself loosing balance. Her mother was going to marry her father? But she was not done.

"And since we are getting married, Nami—I want you to move to Italy with us until you graduate high school."

Gasps and protests were made; Haruhi trying to see what Nami was feeling. The swimmer stood, brushing her eyes with her mother and father. When everything seemed perfect, when everything was complete, her world was broken down, dismantling through what she was hearing. She heard her mind tell her to leave, just as the Christmas party—she turned away.

"Nami?" Her mother's voice was searching, but she could not reply. Her feet took action as she darted away.

--

A/N: Oh my goodness! What a chapter—I loved the idea of a performance when I knew I was writing about her mother coming back. I hope this chapter made you sit on the end of your seat. I wonder what going to happen in the next chapter.

BTW, Azumi is a minor character—I think she'll be in this chapter only. Heh!

Please review!


	19. It's too Hard to say Goodbye

A/N: I started on this next chapter right after I finished the last. I hope I will be done with this soon because the end will be so cute . Anyway, continue to review—LOVE hearing from you guys.

P.S. emorocks91- Emmy, yes, you—I don't know why I called you that, but it fits in my perception! Thank you for the clarification.

On with the fic!

Chapter 19

It's too hard to say Goodbye

The water surrounded her body, her limps continuing to pull through the liquid. She could feel the pressure of her body wanting to give up, but she had to continue. Her heart was heavy; her mind was pounding with new information. She wanted to stay in the water, forgetting the problems of everything—she looked into the blue water as she pushed herself one more lap.

Soon after, she turned onto her back, floating within the pool as her eyes stared up to the sky. The cloud drifting into the deep blue of the sky—it was peaceful, complimenting the day she should have. She had a boyfriend, her mother was in town, and yet the news of her father changed everything. She should be happy—she knew her father and now she would belong to a real family. Yet moving to Italy? Could she really leave like that?

"How long are you going to be in there?"

Nami looked to the side of the pool, seeing Vincent slightly waving to her. Seeing him now, she could see why her mother could like the guy—his alluring looks were dashing. Kumiko would blush as if _she_ was the one in high school when he would just made a simple glance to the older dancer.

"I was just swimming a little longer." Nami swam closer to him, pressing a smile to her face.

"You've been swimming all day." He grinned, feeling a comment come into mind. "Why don't we have lunch together—just the two of us."

Nami blinked her eyes, knowing she really did not have the want to join him, but she could tell he was trying his very best. "Yeah, let me get out and changed."

Vincent graciously smiled, having his hand out for her to grab. She looked at his hand; intently deciding it was better for her to jump out without help. She was known to be clumsy with other people around, but for his sake, it would be rude to decline the help—she accepted his hand, feeling a mighty pull assist her to the concrete. Nami's eyes widened, collecting the information that her father was not just a good looking man, but he had strength to boot.

"Come on, Nami. I want to take you somewhere special." Vincent's glowing emerald smiled to her emerald eyes, which triggered her thoughts of his destination. She grabbed her towel, brushing it to collect the loose water on her body as Vincent motioned her to the mansion.

--

"I feel a little under dressed."

Nami was not expecting to be in such an affluent restaurant in the middle of the day. She pressed her hand on the gray hoodie jacket she wore over just a white tank top as it flowed down a pair of dark jean skirt with converse shoes. She was thinking something light as in an okonomiyaki place or famiresu joint—instead she was sitting across from her comfortable slacks and rolled up Italian shirt father in the regal, classy _Restorante Carmine._

The swimmer crossed her legs, fiddling with the napkin in her lap as her father glanced to her with a smile from the menu. "You look bella."

"Bella—that means lovely." Nami felt a smirk appear when Vincent nodded to her. "I went to a girls' boarding school in Italy."

"I know." The reply somewhat startled Nami, but he continued to explain. " I knew about since you were very young."

"Well, don't mind being frank but, why so long?"

The waiter came over. "Would you like some wine?"

Nami looked over to Vincent, he gradually smiling. "We would like two glasses of Barbera. I would like Tortelloni ricotta and spinaci and a coffee for dessert."

"I'll just have the tiella with spinaci and tomatoes." The waiter smiled, taking their menus before he made his way to the kitchen.

Nami looked onto her father, wondering if she should bring their conversation into a light tone or get into what she has been thinking about.

"You're a little older than Marsala— she's eight months younger." The swimmer did not know if she was talking her or himself. "I remember when your mother told me about you—when I saw you for the first time, I knew you were mine."

"Did you think I was not?"

Vincent felt a chuckle left his lip—a hearty yet attractive deep one. "I knew your mother wasn't lying, but during that time, my first wife just past away. You were almost two when she told me."

Nami felt her lips parched, rubbing her fingers along the napkin. "So, mom did not tell you when she was pregnant?"

"I think she didn't want to intrude my life when she found out I was married." Nami was about to comment, but Vincent beat her to it. "Yes, I had an affair with your mother, but my marriage was already on the rocks."

Nami did not mean to, but her eyebrow rose to the word affair. "I hope you did not think you had the right to sleep with my mother because of your marriage."

The waiter came back, placing the wine glasses onto the table. Vincent's lips frown, feeling the slight tension to Nami's comment. "Can you bring a bottle to the table?"

"Yes sir!" He left once again.

The two took their glasses, sipping to fill in the silence. Vincent knew in order to build a better connection, he had to be truthful. "I met your mother here."

Nami looked up from her glass, but he continued the story. "I was five years into my marriage with Isabella. Before my trip here, I found her in bed with one of our butlers—she told me that she loved him and felt that she made a mistake with marrying me."

Nami's eyes widened, brushing her eyes with his to the hint of sadness. "I had to get away, just for a little, so I came to Tokyo. I came to this restaurant, just by coincident. Your mother danced here, just for entertainment. Three performances I think—Rumba, Salsa, and the Tarantella, a traditional Italian dance. She asked for a partner for the Tarantella and I accepted instantly."

He smiled as Nami expected that he was mentally living the past. Vincent took another sip, looking at her. "I have always been known to charm a woman, and your mother was a charmer with men—our first conversation, it was like we were trying to compete."

"I could imagine." Nami sipped her wine, thinking how she could have seen her mother put the moves on him—just as she did a couple of days ago with her friends.

"I think we both won. I was in Italy for a week, and each day I spent it with her." Vincent looked at his glass, slipping his eyes to Nami. "Each day I was with her, I began to feel more alive than I ever have with Isabella. I wanted to stay with her forever, but I had responsibilities. Isabella and I were still married, and your sisters needed me."

Sisters, Nami thought. For most of her life, she believed to be an only child, counting on her mother for family ties. She had siblings—she did not know yet if it were a blessing or a curse.

"When I went back to Italy, Isabella told me she was pregnant—with Marsala. I did not know if the child was mine, but she assured me she was." Vincent frowned slightly. "With another child coming, I had to focus on rebuilding my family."

"So you stopped talking to my mother?" Nami asked, pouring the wine into her empty glass.

"I tried to, but she was too important—I loved her. She came to visit me, unexpectedly. When she saw my family, she left without a word. That was the most crushing event I could ever had seen." Vincent took another sip.

Nami inwardly smiled—he really did love her mother. Of course, she felt a little offensive when he said he had an affair while he was married, but his words of the past were sincere. When he spoke of her mother, Nami could see the sparkle of affection within his eyes of Kumiko. The event were complicated, but his feelings were earnest—Nami had to admire at least that.

"When Isabella died, I was very upset—the birth of Marsala made her sick." Vincent took his glass, sipping the wine then swirling it in his hand. "I don't know how, but your mother heard the news. She told me she was coming to see me with you. At first when I heard, I questioned her if I was the father—"

Vincent smiled, feeling the chuckling coming. "That's when I learned it might be wise never to ask a woman that."

Nami nodded, waiting for her father to continue. "When the two of you came to visit, I knew you were mine—you had my eyes and my nose. You were two, but at that moment, I could not bear to call you my own."

"Why? You should have took me in—My mother and me."

Vincent smiled, but shook his head. "It was not the time. You were too young, and Isabella just died. Your sisters would have hated you and blamed your mother and you for our misfortune."

Nami could understand the idea—the girls were young and things were just too complicated. When you are young, the only way to blame pain is with someone else, not the natural idea of reality.

"I sent gifts, money, and letters to your mother to ensure that both her and yourself would be well. We decided together to send you to boarding school—" He smiled happily. "Your mother sent me pictures of you when you were growing, and with that, I was very happy."

Vincent took out his wallet from his pocket, opening to various pictures when she was in her elementary boarding school clothes, her swimming in a pool, and her around her friends in middle school. He kept them with her even though she knew nothing of him.

"I think when you were 11, your mother came to visit since you were moving to the girls' school in Italy. We were planning to go visit you together—to tell you I was your father, but that's when—"

"When you learned I was afraid of boys and men." He nodded.

"But once your mother told me about you being cured, I was excited—I could finally meet you again." Vincent grabbed her free hand, rubbing her thumb against it. " When Chianti turned eighteen, I finally told them about you—they met your mother many times, but never knew that we were in love. They had mixed feelings about the situation, but they were determined to meet you."

Nami's eyes grew slightly, placing the pieces together. "So when Marsala came to see the school, the sisters actually came to meet me?"

"Yeah, I asked not to tell them who you were, but I gave them approval to meet you." Nami pressed her hand to her chest, feeling that this information was just too much. "I'm sorry for being a little underhanded with everything—"

"No…it's okay. I understand why everyone did what they did." Nami smiled slightly, trying to reassure him she was really okay. "I think I'm just surprised."

"I know. But now that everything is fitting together—in just two days, you'll be in Italy with a family."

Nami smirked to his idea, emotionally feeling her be ripped into two parts. One part wanted to be in Italy, knowing that she'll spend the family time she has always wanted—having arguments and sleepovers with her sisters, being around her mother, and getting to know more of the father she never knew. The other part felt, though family was important in her life; here she had her friends and Kaoru—the interaction with the host members, the bonding between Haruhi, and the special growth between Kaoru and her. It was too much.

"It would make me so happy to be with you in Italy." Vincent gripped her hand, smiling happily to what the future would bring.

"Yeah." Inside, she was breaking her own heart—but where was Kaoru to help assure her that everything was okay?

--

"Have you seen Kaoru lately?"

Haruhi was actually surprised by Nami's question. She looked over to the taller girl who was sitting on the brunette's floor, crossing her legs as she looked within a swimming magazine. Though she looked very casual sitting there, her question was filled with sincere concern. She visited the Hitachiin residence within the three days since the performance; Hikaru—Kaoru nowhere to be found—always greeted her. She expected the younger twin to be with Nami, but the idea was washed away now.

"You mean you haven't seen him since the performance?" Haruhi had to ask before she confirmed the realization—Nami nodded.

Nami's emerald eyes looked over to the brunette, clearly adding to the explanation. "I called his cell phone many times, but he has not answered. Yesterday morning, I came to see is he would come swim with me, like he does sometimes, but his butlers said he was already gone."

Haruhi's lips thinned to the idea he was ignoring the girl—there were many times when Kaoru was expected to ignore Nami, such as when she wanted to be with Mori or the fiasco before Valentine's Day, but he seized each moment, whether good or bad just to be around the swimmer. Kaoru's behavior was always admirable, never wavering his feelings with Nami or his friends. Yet, at the moment when Nami needed him, he was nowhere to be seen.

"I know he's upset." Nami's voice wavered a little, placing the book down. "I know he's upset at me, too."

Haruhi's eyes fluttered to the girl on her floor. "No, I don't think that's it."

"Haruhi, he's mad that I'm leaving. All that time he put into getting me to notice him, all that time wasted—I'm leaving to go to Italy in two days, and he thinks I could have said no, but—"

Haruhi watched as Nami was fighting off the emotion. Nami placed her hands onto her hair, digging into the raven shag as she felt herself wavering into panic. "Nami?"

"—I have been so disappointing to him. I have such good friends and our relationship is great, but he thinks that I'm throwing it away. He doesn't want to talk to me—I keep hurting him, destroying every little thing that we created."

Haruhi watched the girl begin to cry, feeling the heat within her rise. Now, it was as if everything was finally hitting her. Nami clutched her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears from falling. Once she was on land, away from the pool, all she can think about was the problems, and the person she needed to talk to the most was not there. How can she ever be happy ever again? As her thoughts began to flap around, wildly taking in all the negative aspects of her dilemma, she felt arms tug around her. Nam's emerald darted, glancing down to see the arms of the brunette around her. She looked over her shoulder, finding the chocolate eyes embracing her with affection.

"He'll be there. I promise he'll be there for you." Nami felt herself calming down, feeling the contact of Haruhi's arm. Haruhi was never one to lie—she was always to the point with many things. Haruhi's words were uplifting in a way, but still the fact remained—she only had two days and a boyfriend nowhere to be seen.

--

"Hikaru, where is he?"

In the past year, the older Hitachiin twin never heard the voice of his girlfriend to be so demanding. She glanced to him, piercing for his obedience. The way her eyes carried a sense of threat yet chimed with politeness—to be quite frank, it turned him on.

"What? Do you mean Kaoru?" Haruhi nodded, placing her hand on her hips. "He should be in his room."

Before he could even say anything to her, Haruhi was out the door. Hikaru brushed his hand within his hair, trying to come up with what was going on—Oh, yeah, Nami, he thought. Of course, he was concern for the swimmer, but he was concern for his brother more. When the incident happened, Kaoru felt himself locked into a depression, wanting to stay away from everyone. Kaoru stayed in the house, telling Hikaru to yield everyone away from him, so he had to abide to his wishes… Shit.

Hikaru ran out his room, hearing loud knocking from a door. Of course, he presumed it was Haruhi, which he mentally cursed for telling. Hikaru observed his brother walking out of the room as he made his way to Haruhi's side.

Haruhi eyed him, indicating mentally how tired Kaoru looked—his eyes carried bags to them, as if to mirror how Nami was when Mori denied her. Yet his feeling were returned and needed—she glared to him.

"Why are you ignoring Nami?" She watched him place his hand in his hair.

Kaoru knew Haruhi would be blunt, she always was. "It's complicating, Haruhi."

"Why? Because Nami is going to Italy and leaving here?" Haruhi felt herself crossing her arms to his silence. He looked away from her.

"I just don't know what to say to her." Kaoru looked over for a moment to her brother then the brunette. "I can't tell her to stay, but I don't want her to go. It's really complicating."

"So you're just going to ignore her?" She waited for an answer—it never came. "My Kami, are you that stupid?"

Kaoru crossed his arms, leaning on the door. " What should I do then? What should I say? It's obvious she's picking her family." He did not mean to sound as if he was being rude, but he had to scoff—no one always had the right answers at the right time.

Haruhi grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him closer to see the anger she felt. "Listen here—an hour ago, your girlfriend was on my bedroom floor, crying. And do you want to know why she was crying?"

Kaoru felt his heart beat faster, wanting to not hear what Haruhi wanted to say. He looked to her brother, but Hikaru just shrugged. He looked back, finally giving up his defense. "What?"

"She was ranting about how she messed up **your** life!" Kaoru felt something within him fall—it was as if the heart he held so precious fell to the ground. " She kept saying she hurt you, she messed up everything, and how she thinks you are disappointed in her."

Kaoru yanked away from Haruhi. "I never said anything like that."

"How would she know? You have not even talked to her since the night when she found out everything." Haruhi let out a gasp, touching the nape of her locks to calm down. Even though Nami is upset and things are going around in her head, she needed him to know that everything would be okay. "She needs you more than anyone else."

Kaoru looked over to the brunette, taking Hikaru's hand. "You've always had Hikaru and your family, but Nami has not. Everything is hitting her, but she's more distress about what you think than being happy about the forming of a family. You need to help her out."

Haruhi began to walk away, pulling her boyfriend with her. Kaoru watched her for a moment, wondering what to do. Haruhi was right, naturally, yet it was affecting Nami the most, he was second to the pain of her departure.

"Kaoru?" He saw Haruhi look over her shoulder to him. "I'm thinking of having a going away party for her at the school around eight tomorrow—I think you should join it. She _is _your girlfriend."

Girlfriend, he thought. The title was still there, but it was clearly hanging from a string.

--

"Why the hell are we at the school?"

Nami looked at the Ouran High School building as the Florio sisters walked toward it. The girls insisted to take the swimmer to dinner, wanting to spend actual time with their new sister before they traveled to Italy. Nami was actually a little excited to know their interest into bonding with her, so she dressed up, thinking they would go to another fancy restaurant—instead, they were transported to the place she never would have thought she would see.

"Oh, come on! Sine we're here, why don't you surround yourself with one last look." Sherry smiled, taking Nami's hand.

Marsala opened the door, letting them walk in first as she felt a tug of interest appear on her face. "Yeah, I mean, don't you want to see this before you go?"

Nami looked at the place, glancing at the school she came accustomed with in her short period. " I guess."

The four of them walked within the halls, Nami touching the walls. She envisioned the setting more lifelike, people walking up and down the halls, communicating with one another. Somehow, she felt herself being tugged to the direction of the third floor, wanting to see the very thing that brought her happiness.

Once on the floor, she walked, seeing a glimpse of light peering through a certain room. It was dark when she came into the school, but somehow the lights of the host clubroom were peering out the door, pulling her for attention.

"What's the lights doing on?" asked Nami, really to no one in particular.

Chianti adjusted her glasses, glimpsing to the room she was speaking. "I presume we should go see."

The four girls walked over, glancing at the door—Nami placed her hand on the door for a moment, touching it as she remembered when she first met the people she liked—the petals floating in the air, the wonderful welcome they unison, the slap across Tamaki's face. She chuckled, pushing onto the door to remember what she was going to leave behind.

"Surprise!"

The voices surprised her, Nami jumping in response. Her heart began to beat rapidly until she saw the forms of people within the room—the host club, including Mori, Hunny, and Rebecca, were present.

"What the hell is going on?" Nami walked in, followed by her sisters as she observed the look of the room. A large table was placed in the middle of the room, flourished with food of Japan and Italy as cup and teas accompanied the cuisines. The boys, including Haruhi, smiled happily as they bowed toward the surprised swimmer. She placed her hand on her chest, looking back to the Florio sister—they simultaneously smiled to her, shrugging to the question within her head.

"As president of the Host Club, I would to present a token for our friend and client Nami Yamazaki." Tamaki walked to the girl, kissing her hand slightly.

Nami's emerald eyes darted, glancing to each person in the room. Though it was a wondrous thing that her friends made her going away party, she inwardly wanted to see someone. Someone she has not seen and needed to see before she left.

"He's not here." Haruhi walked up to her, no smile planted on her face. "I told him about it, but he hasn't shown up."

Nami felt her inside slightly turn, thinning her lips to her friend's reply. "It's okay."

"He's not at the house either," added Hikaru. "I was trying to find him to see if he was coming, but he left the house."

Nami crossed her arms together, feeling herself wanting to just leave the room. But she felt a hand on her—it was Marsala's.

"Even though he's not here, you got to admit—your friends did this for you in such a small amount of time."

Chianti gasped as she walked to Mori's side. "Marsala! Are you actually acting like a nice person?"

The youngest Florio turned to her sister, feeling her eyes pierce the oldest with annoyance. "Hey, I can be nice!"

Nami felt her mouth twitch, a genuine smile appearing onto her face. Marsala was right, she thought. Everyone in the room was someone she cared about. From the host club to the American gaijin to her half sisters, they all had a part of her heart. She smiled, collecting the profiles of everyone in her sight. She was really lucky.

"Hey, how about we start on the food? I'm starved!" Nami pulled onto the brunette's arm, tugging her to the table.

They all watched the swimmer, taking her chopsticks and licking her lips. She was really trying to keep the hurt at bay, they all thought. Nevertheless, they had to make the best of it—for her sake.

--

Kaoru stood, looking at the door. He knew he had to come. Most of his pain, he kept in private, but it was not about him. It was about her. He liked everything about Nami—the way she ran her hand in her shaggy hair like a guy, the way she would curse under her breath, the way she punched him or argued, the way she brushed her glance to him, the way she tugged onto his hand when she wanted to be alone with him. Everything about her was not perfect, but her imperfection was perfect.

He cursed himself for hiding away in his room, neglecting the support he had to be for her. To be honest, if it were not for Haruhi to open his eyes, he would probably still in his room. He had to thank her for that.

"Thank, guys! Everything was good!"

As his thoughts were interrupted, his eyes swept up into the person who opened the door—the person he was ignoring for four days. Her brilliant emerald widened slightly, his auburn wavered only slightly. He had so much to say, but his mouth was parched and his mind was fuzzy. Certainly, he had to say something; they could not just look at one another.

"Come here."

Nami felt him pull her to him, feeling his arms wrapped around her waist. His touch was so close, yet she should not feel any happiness from it—she should be pissed. She called him, visited his home, and asked others if they have seen him, but no true answer came. She thought he did not care, but once he was there, he demanded physical contact—as if he had done nothing.

Nami felt the words—the right words—wanting to tell him off, but at this moment, the urge of touching him came over her. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her form. Nami swept her face into the side of his neck, smelling the usual scent of foreign cologne on his body. The words she knew she should say drifted through their silence—it did not matter, for a moment, because he was here.

After a moment, Kaoru pulled her away, wanting to see her until his eyes came in contact to the numerous people peeking behind the open door to see. He looked to her, gripping her hand with a smirk. "Let's go for a bit."

She did not have time to protest since he was on the move, pulling her to follow. She looked back to the group, watching noticeably as they all waved to her with smiles on their faces.

The two made their way up to the roof of the school, observing the diamonds in the sky shining down. Nami looked up, taking in the beautiful atmosphere as Kaoru leaned on the wall of the stairway. Finally they were alone, and time was moving fast.

Kaoru glanced to the swimmer, embracing how lovely she looked with the night. She looked her best in water, but she looked pretty accompanied with the night sky, he thought.

"You've got a lot of nerves ignoring me like that." Kaoru sensed the bite within her words—he should have known not everything was okay.

Nami looked to him, displaying a face of all the hurt and uneasiness she felt within the days—a tear flowed down her cheek, a long stream from the tip of her eyelid to the tip of her chin. He could not bear to watch this.

The redhead walked over to her, wiping the tear. "I'm sorry." Sincere, she could tell within his words as he continued to wipe the other falling tear. "I'm really sorry."

His words, smooth as silk between the fingers, graced her ears as she leaned closer to him. "I was so worried that you were upset with me."

"It's not like you chose to leave—I could never be upset like that to you." Nami's eyes swept up to his, feeling his hand along her cheeks. She pulled onto the sleeves of his hoodie, pressing closer to separate any space they had between them. Hearing those words made her feel a little better. Nami bent him closer to her, her lips sweeping into his lips. She could feel every reason to stay—his lips were perfect, their body together felt too perfect. Their kiss was always so perfect she thought— short yet long lasting. Nami stared into his eyes, feeling the savory taste of him still with her, but watched as his eyes slightly widened.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Kaoru burrowed into the pocket of his shorts, gripping onto a small item with them. "I have something for you—I was looking for the right one all day."

Her eyes grew, observing the small box in his hand. It was navy color box, decorated with a green bow. She took it into her hand, sliding the decoration off to see inside—there in the box, laid a silver chain necklace with a heart hanging. Nami observed the item closely, taking in the sweet decoration of the heart until she saw words placed on the item.

"It says 'my heart travels with you'." Nami's emerald eyes read the inscription as the redhead spoke.

She was never one for jewelry—any earrings, bracelet, and rings her mother sent her, she placed them in her dresser. She did not want to be bothered with the feminine frill of gifts when she was so active with swimming. If she swam everyday, she would have to remember to take the items off, giving in to the nuisance of wearing them. But this treasure—this gift from Kaoru— this was never going to be a nuisance.

Kaoru walked behind her, taking the necklace into his hands. "May I slip this on you?"

"Of course." She stood there, feeling the accessory slide onto her skin as he latched it around her neck. She looked down to it—long enough for her eyes to see it on her. It was wonderful, she thought, letting her finger touch it. Kaoru slipped back in front of her. He could see she wanted to cry again. He did not want to make her cry anymore than he already did, but he wanted to touch the very person he waited to see everyday; his very reason to caress the optimism of life.

"Kaoru, I don't want to leave."

Kaoru felt his stomach turn, trying to grasp himself from crying. "Me either."

Nami's eyes fluttered to him, touching the silver heart on her collarbone once again. "Why, Italy? I want to be selfish, but Mama wants this…. I want everyone to be happy."

Kaoru thinned his mouth, collecting his words—no mess-ups. "You deserve to be happy, too."

Nami hugged him, feeling his hand caress the nape of her neck. She wished that time could stand still; that she did not have this problem of leaving—but reality was never like that.

"Why are we acting like everything is bad?" Nami watched Kaoru smile to her, his eyes dancing once again with his wicked self. "We'll have two years away from one another—summer is coming up soon, so I'll come visit."

Nami looked up to him, mirroring the attitude he was projecting. "Yeah, and we can call one another everyday—I'll write as well."

"Not with your handwriting. It's pretty crappy—I can barely read from any of your notes in class." Kaoru present his usual wicked smile she loved, but she decided to jab him in the side for his comment.

Kaoru touched his side where she landed the blow. "Gosh, you still hit like a man."

Nami could not help it but to laugh, feeling like time was really standing still for a moment. She needed this—their playful personalities toward one another kept everything okay.

Kaoru smiled once more for a moment, chuckling with her, but his next words came with wavering sadness when it should be a joyous moment.

"I love you." Nami stopped her laughter, looking to him as he pulled to her. "I love you, Nami, I love you."

This moment should be her happiest—the words felt perfect coming from his lips. She should be happy, but she was not. She did not know why—the tears fell from her eyes, and this time, she could not bear to wipe them away. Kaoru pulled her into him, letting her face press onto his chest. He glanced up at the stars as the rumbling of her cry vibrated his body. How cruel was fate to let a sky so beauty, peer down on the most unhappiest part of his life.

--

"Little Nami!"

Nami pulled her suitcases from the house, cursing under her breath for having so much. Of course, she had her maids to help, but the maids were already either helping to move other things or doing some work for her mother. She did not mind doing her own chores anyway, and for this moment, it was helpful because it prolonged the process of moving.

"You need help, Nami?" The swimmer looked to see her father taking to her side—he clutched on one of the bigger suitcases.

"You don't need to do that," spoke Nami, but he seemed to not hear her words since he was all ready out the house.

She sighed, feeling that the future was inevitable, so she quickly made it out her home. Her feet slightly dragged, not wanting to move, but she had to do this for the sake of her family.

"Marsala, why don't you go grab one of Nami's bag?" asked Chianti giving the bags to the driver to pack.

Marsala glanced her dark blue eyes to the oldest. "Why don't you?"

Kumiko looked to the girl's, chuckling to the sight of sibling arguments as she helped Sherry with her things.

"It's okay, I'm already right here, see?" Nami crept close to them, dumping the bags to the side of the limo.

The swimmer stood, watching her family help with the pack or interact with one another with care. A true family was within the future—she was grateful to Kami for the help to establish something she had always yearned. She accepted being an illegitimate, only child—but there were nights when she wanted more. Now that she had it, she was thankful, truly she was, but she could not help the part of her who dreaded this moment.

"It's time to go, Little Nami."

Nami looked to her mother, glimpsing to the driver closing the trunk. Marsala leaned on the limo glaring at the oldest and the middle child scooting into the vehicle as her parents waited for Nami to pile in. This was it, she thought. The long waited moment when she would close this chapter and start a new one with her family. It should a happy moment—she should be smiling, laughing and poking fun with Marsala, she should be enjoying being wanted in a family.

She moved to the door, touching the side of it—her breath began to shorten and her hand was shaking. She tried to calm herself down—mentally she ensured herself that everything was okay, but she could not move to make the cross over.

"Nami?" She heard her father's voice, wondering if she was okay.

Nami turned to him, feeling the tears, which signaled both parents to show concern.

"Little Nami—"

"I can't." Her voice came out shaky as her body showed. She crossed her arms under her chest, grabbing to regain control over her nervousness.

"You can't, what?" asked Vincent; glancing with his lips thinned to seeing her like this.

"Ever since I was little, I wanted to be with my mother all the time." Nami looked to see her mother smiling. "I was always at boarding school, which was never a problem, but I wanted to have a family—and now that I have it, I'm very happy."

The two parents smiled, but she was not finished. "I love you guys, I really do, but I can't leave."

"Why?" She looked over to Marsala, the one who spoke. "You're getting a family like you wanted, but you can't leave?"

Nami felt her chest burn, the emotions she felt through this whole process—it was time to find out why she wanted to be here.

"I have a life here." She looked to her parent, their eyes glancing for her to continue. "My friends are wonderful—the most cherished friendship I've ever encountered within my life. They have helped me take off that stupid phobia, and included me in almost everything they did."

"And?" It was Marsala's voice again—why was she pushing her to speak?

"Little Nami, you can keep in contact with them," spoke her mother, placing a hand on her.

"That's right; they are more than welcomed to stay at the mansion to visit," added Vincent.

Nami shook her head, feeling that she was not making her point. "I can't leave!" She did not know why but her voice was in a shout now. "I can't leave Kaoru!"

Hot tears washed down her face, something Kumiko vaguely remembered from the girl. Nami placed her hand on the silver heart, touching the gift to give her the strength she needed. She knew now was the time to say what she wanted.

"Kaoru means so much to me. I know he said we would be okay away from one another, but I just can't do it!" She wiped her tears, looking to her parents. "I know I have a family, a wonderful family that I want to get to know and strengthen, but I can't leave him. My heart, my body, my mind says that I can't go, so I won't! I want to be truly happy, and I know I won't be if I'm not around him."

She looked down, knowing their minds must be racing with decisions and maybe hurt—she took each of their hands, hoping they would understand. "I bet it was hard for you to be away from one another—Though you had responsibilities and work, you still kept hold. You love one another so much—I feel the same for Kaoru. I'm sorry. I can't leave just yet. Please understand that."

Nami took her hands away, wiping her cheeks as the heat touched her palms. She had never stood up to her mother like this. It was not that she meant to choose Kaoru over her family, she did not think it that way—It was more that, she was use to being on her own away from her mother, knowing that their connection was always there. But with Kaoru, she could not really describe it to the detail. Their love was just starting, and she would be so miserable being away from him. Her happiness was important, just as much as everyone around her—it was time for her to be the one smiling.

"Okay, you can stay."

Nami jumped back, feeling the touch of the limo on her back. Her eyebrow rose, seeing the wicked smile on her parents' faces.

"R-really?" asked Nami, biting the tip of her thumb as she felt herself calm down.

Kumiko could not help it now—she plunged herself to her daughter, hugging her dearly with her lips bending into the deepest smile. "My little Nami is in love!"

Nami could not comprehend what was going on, feeling her mother engulf her with her chest—so embarrassing, Nami thought.

"We had a long talk once you got back with your sisters last night, especially Marsala," replied Vincent with a grin to his youngest. "They told us how emotionally draining it was for you to leave here and leave Kaoru."

"I always knew that boy had potential!" Kumiko smiled to her daughter—Little Nami was finally growing up.

"Y-You aren't mad? Or upset at me?" Nami looked to her father, slipping her mother off of her. She thought they would be a little upset—it was kind of late for her to explain that she could not leave.

Vincent placed her hand along the side of Nami's cheek—Nami could not help but to feel a little surprise to his contact. "I would be happy to have you with me, Nami. But your happiness here would make me even happier."

The way he spoke his words, covered in sincerity and smoothness—no wonder her mother fell in love with him. She placed a hand on top of his touching her, smiling with sheer appreciation. "Thank you, daddy."

Daddy, he thought—it was a different voice calling him. Ever since they met, this was the first time she addressed him his title. He could do nothing but smile for her words.

"Um, don't you have something else to tell her?" Marsala felt her words came out too annoyed, but the parents were too engulfed with the sweetness of the moment.

Chianti looked out from the limo to her sister. "Oh, Marsala, you are so rude!"

"What did I do?" The youngest Florio shrugged to the accusation.

"It was such a lovely moment!" added Sherry, though her words were softer to Marsala.

Vincent gave a cough for attention, prying the girls from starting another and usual argument. "Marsala's right—Nami, though you will be staying here, I would feel better if you were not alone."

"So we decided to sell this home, and Marsala will move with you to the summer house." Nami looked over to Marsala who only graced her with a simple nod. She remembered their villa, a vast place with rooms, two pools, and everything needed for a home—of course, she was used to her previous home, but she did not mind the move.

"What about the maids?"

Kumiko smiled, happily knowing how close her daughter was with the servants. "They're actually moving in your things right now with the help of Mori-kun and Hunny-kun."

So everything was fitting in so smoothly—that's when she was alert of everything. All along they knew how she felt. She struggled through the week, holding back the negativity of the change. They wanted to see her happy, knowing that she was trying to please them. She really had a nice family. She could not help but smile.

--

"Kaoru, you can't stay in bed all day!"

Hikaru and Haruhi stood in the doorway of the younger twin's room. He clutched to the cover sprawled on his bed, his auburn eyes glancing out the window. He was trying to ignore her brother's voice, trying to ignore their presences all together. He told Nami everything would be okay, and he wanted to believe it. He moved his legs closer to his torso, feeling himself becoming sick.

"Nami wouldn't want you like this," spoke Haruhi, looking up to Hikaru for more support.

"She's not here—it does not matter." His words were a lie because it did matter.

"Kaoru…" Hikaru never thought he would see his emotionally matured twin dooming himself in his bed. Yet he could understand—if the brunette moved away within days, he would shut down anything he was doing. Sulking was something Hikaru was good at, but not Kaoru.

"Just leave me alone…" His voice was soft, pleading as he pulled more covers to his form.

"Kaoru!"

His name was called through the hallway, barely making its way to the room. Haruhi turned from the door, glancing her eyes to see a form running to their destination.

"Hikaru, I think we should get out the way." She pulled his arms as the older twin raised an eyebrow to her statement.

Once they both made it out, they watched the form of a running Nami making her way to them. She smiled, letting her breathing catch up to her. It was such a sight to see Nami there, in the Hitachiin home. Haruhi looked to her, confusion written all on her face, but the swimmer just smiled. The brightness of her face alarmed them, but they could not help but to think they had nothing to worry about.

Nami looked into Kaoru's room, walking in to see the form of her boyfriend's body curled in bed. Her smiled widened, tiptoeing to see more closely. She silently made her way onto his bed. His auburn eyes, usually sparking with a sense of mischief and affection, glanced sadly at the window. He looked like a sad puppy, she thought—feeling a chuckle escape her mouth.

Once Kaoru heard the chiming of laughter, he was becoming blinded by anger. It was one thing that they were pressuring him to come out his room, but now they were laughing at him. He was hurting inside because the person he loved with all his heart was temporarily flying in the sky to her new home.

Kaoru took his hand, pushing the body to hit his bed with a small, comfortable thud. The covers spread over whoever was in the bed with him, but he placed his hands on their form to keep him down. Their was a little struggle to keep them down, but he was going to let them have it.

"Leave me alone! If you can' t tell, I'm in a lot of pain." He felt hot tears reach out from his eyelids, but he did not care at the moment. "I love Nami with all my heart, but she isn't here. Can you give me some slack because it's a lot to get use to—not seeing her face, not being around her? You guys still have each other, but my heart is in Italy."

The person's struggling stopped; he took his hands away, sitting in his bed. Kaoru pulled the covers away from the body to see a certain person he was talking about. Her eyes, brilliant with a mischievous emerald, brushed against his widening eyes. She was here, in his room, on his bed, looking at him.

"Nami?" He felt two tears fall from his face, which triggered the swimmer to take pursuit.

Nami sat up, scooting closer to him as her hands wiped away his tears. "Why is your heart in Italy when I'm right here?" She smiled, kissing the spots where his tears were on his cheeks.

"Shouldn't you be on your way to Italy?" His eyes were in a daze, but he could feel her skin on him. She was there—certainly this was not a dream.

Nami glanced to him, cupping his head in her hands. "I'm not going anywhere—I'm staying here."

Kaoru placed his hand on her hips. "You're staying here?" Nami nodded, making the younger twin feel the positive urges of happiness flowing through his body.

"I couldn't leave—not without you." She kissed his cheek. "I couldn't bear to leave you."

Her lips trailed from his cheek to his lip, each time she touched them she would stay longer than the last kiss. She looked to him, touching affection to his eye glance. "I love you—I love you so much, your absence would kill me."

Kaoru could not take it any longer—He pushed the swimmer onto his bed, pressing his lips to taste her once more. Their built up passion began to press them on, pushing them to continue their kiss. Nami wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer while Kaoru graciously rested his hands on Nami's slender torso. They bended, molded their lips to one another, displaying their emotions and their answers to how they felt. Once they knew they were not going anywhere, Nami felt his lips smile, her hand slipped into rustling his hair as she wrapped her legs around the boy's waist.

Outside the room, Haruhi gaped to the display of extreme affection the two were displaying on the bed. "I think we should leave those two now."

Hikaru slowly nodded his head, intently looking at the last of the affection he could bare to see. "Yeah, we'll see you guys later."

Their voices were heard, so was the door closing—but at the moment, this very moment, the focus was mainly between the two on the bed. The kisses, the touching, the smiles could never equal out to how much they cared for one another, but they knew one thing—they did not have to rush anything. They had all the time in the world.

--

A/N: Wow, that was one of the most emotional chapters I've ever written. I really love it! Nami is here to stay, which makes everyone happy.

BTW—if you're thinking they had a "Sexual encounter"—they didn't! It was more of a really passionate make out.

All that crying made me hungry…

Next up—It's school time, and some new people are coming along! I wonder…

Please review!!


	20. Play that tune, Bad Boy

Nishi

A/N: I'm on my vacation days from work, which will be for a whole week, so I have a vast amount of time to write. I'm really proud on myself for writing and continuing this fic. I'm determined to finish it—though the timeline is not known anymore.

BUT, thank you everyone who has been from the beginning.

On with the fic!

Chapter 20

Play that tune, Bad Boy

It was eerie to see such a spacious school—the walls, the spaces within the hall, the gardens around the campus. It was supposed to be a high school, not a lame ass trap for the rich kids, he thought. A tall boy took his hand up to his head; ruffling through his shaggy, raven bangs, his hair flowed wildly in his ponytail, which lay on his shoulder. His icy blue eyes looked through the windows as he sat in one chair next to the superintendent's office. He pulled his leg up onto the chair, feeling the boredom carry on—maybe he should have stayed out of trouble in Kyoto.

"Shizuma."

The boy looked over his shoulder, letting his eyes look over to an older man. The man carefully shuffled papers within a folder, looking over the information, which he needed to make sure.

"Well, everything is completed—you're finally a student." Shizuma shrugged his arms; He cared no less if his father told him there was no way he could enroll.

The man motioned him to stand—the wild hair boy raised his eyebrow to the idea, wondering what use what it if he was up or not.

"Shizuma, you brought this on yourself." Oh, here we go again, he thought. "This is your third high school within one year—if you don't stay in, you know what will happen."

Sure he did. His father has informed him various times that this was the last straw, his last chance. Shizuma thinking, though he would be entrapped in an upper society prison, he preferred this school than the military school that was waiting for him. Maybe, all he needed was to find something that would interest him—like, maybe, chicks.

He stood from the chair, picking up the leathered guitar case. The man looked at the instrument as Shizuma pulled the strap around his chest—he had no real reason of having this distraction at the school, but if it kept the teen away from trouble, he did not care what he brought with him.

Shizuma eyed his father, wondering if there was anything else he had to do. "Can I leave?"

"What? Oh, well, it is a little early." The older man took out some of the paper, handing it to the wild hair boy. "These are your papers for your classes. Plus I think it would be a good idea if you get into one of these clubs—it may be used to one of your community services."

"Fat chance of that!" He yanked the papers from his father, looking them over. He was, of course, a freshman, but to be in the 1-b room—his grades were not that good to make it up there. Whatever. He rammed the paper into a pocket of his blazer, deciding it was a good reason to go exploring around.

--

"I can't believe this!"

Marsala walked out the limo, feeling her anger hit the skin of her cheeks. Nami watched her half sister, feeling the same, though it was no use; the school decided to crack down on the uniforms, making all the girls wear the bright, bell gown to school. Though Tamaki's father was being kind to Haruhi since it was mandatory for the brunette to keep her profile as a boy for the host club, Nami had to be treated just as another girl in the school. She was somewhat annoyed; pulling on the dress itself when she walked, but Marsala felt it was an outrage to wear such a hideous color.

Marsala turned around, watching the swimmer pull uncomfortably out with her yellow school dress. "This is a bad excuse of an uniform!"

"I'll say, I mixed my uniform with the boy's uniform to feel better." She frowned, rolling up the sleeves to her elbows.

"I'm going to have to talk with administration—I'm going to design a new uniform for girls!" Marsala took her sketchbook out, starting on the idea of what real fashion should be.

Nami smiled, grabbing her suitcase from the driver. "That would be great. Anything is better than this shit!"

Marsala looked over her notebook, intently staring at her half sister. "Your mouth is pretty dirty."

Nami shrugged. "It's a habit."

"Hey, guys!!"

The two girls stood, gaping at a form running in full speed towards them. Certainly, the girls felt their hearts beating faster at the quick being, but soon recognized the person to be Rebecca. She stopped right in front of them, adjusting the dress on her body. Sure, she fit perfectly in her uniform, but her pink highlighted hair and her sturdy brown boots changed the aura of the 'princess' attire. She slung her messenger bag across her chest, taking out her portable digital camera. Click.

"Good morning, Rebecca," spoke Nami, feeling the stare of the camera as Rebecca continued.

Marsala crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow to the girl taking pictures. " Why the camera?"

Rebecca pulled the camera away from her face, widening her smile. "I'm sorry—I'm just so excited! I'm in a Japanese uniform and going to a Japanese school! It's too groovy!"

Marsala looked over to the smirking Nami, which the swimmer replied with a shrug. "Groovy? Um, it's just another school."

"Easy for you to say. I was not born into a rich family, going into boarding schools and private schools." She placed her camera back into her bag. "Public school in the U.S.A. is totally different. We don't get to wear uniforms—we usually have a dress code, but it's really not that strict."

Marsala felt herself huff at her explanation. "Not fair! I wish we had that than this ummm…"

"Shit, you mean?" Nami smiled—she could not help but to answer.

"Aw, it's not too bad." Rebecca did a twirl, hearing the clink of her boots—the dress twirled lightly. "Okay, you're right, it does, but I'm still excited."

The two looked at the American girl, smiling to the ironic happiness of the punkish gaijin in the wardrobe of a feminine debutant. The trio decided to take their time walking to the front of the school, discussing their classes and such. Closer they came to the doors, they could see a large group of people—mostly girls—surrounding a boy who was sitting on the steps. Other students would look, collecting the image of this unidentified guy, but it seemed he did not care. The girls, on the other hand, observed while listening to the acoustic cords played within the air. Each strum played cords, an interesting awkward sound; it was a wicked, alluring sound that could not be touched.

"Music, on the steps?" asked Marsala, looking up to Nami. "Is this a natural occurrence?"

Nami shook her head. "Must be a newbie."

Rebecca could not help but to feel the music—It was out the canon of a graceful sound, but it was to be listened. Her hazel eyes waved to the boy, his icy blue gracing the audience. She had to get a picture of him—something about him made her want to capture his essence and his body aura within a picture.

She crept in the crowd, pushing slightly to get through. When a girl would look to her with a glare, she would just show a bit of gratitude and apology. She flung the cap off, pushing her way—she could feel the moment, the moment when a perfect picture claimed the moment. But as she turned to focus the camera, her foot skipped on a foot—her balance was no more and her weight was in his lap.

Shizuma felt her presence coming, sensing the motion of her movement was not hard to see, especially the girls being pushed to the side. He stopped his strumming, taking his guitar in one hand—his icy blue took a glimpse of her. Her pink highlights were the first thing he saw, brightly standing out into her hair. He watched her collapse in his lap, his hand holding his guitar away. He could feel her rigid movement—as if she collected herself and found that she was in his lap. How embarrassing, he thought she was thinking.

Rebecca pulled her head up, her hazel meeting his icy blue. She felt her breath stop for a moment; his face was so close yet his guitar was above his head. What a picture! She quickly pulled up her camera, still sitting in his lap. "Keep that pose!" Click!

The flash from the camera blinded him, causing him to drop his guitar and scramble to wiping his eye. "What the hell was that for?"

Rebecca took a picture of the guitar, bouncing slightly from the step's impact, finding herself intrigued of the movement. "I'm taking a picture. Amazing!"

Shizuma blinked his eyes as the vision of her face came to his sight. He pushed her off, making her slide to a couple of steps below her. Rebecca grunted to the impact, slightly letting her fingers rub her backside as the audience began to dwindle away, which angered the guitarist.

"Look what you did? Now the chicks are leaving, and I did not get any numbers!" He snorted to the American girl who just casually placed her camera back into her bag.

She looked over her shoulder, smiling to him as Nami and Marsala walked over. "Aw, well, we're pretty much the best girls you're going to see anyways!"

Shizuma could not understand her words and did not care until his eyes crept on the Italian beauty and the tomboyish swimmer. His eyes swept up the curves lingering through the yellow gown on Marsala—indulging on the schemes to be the clothes on her body. His icy blue observed the tall, slender Nami—her face, her eyes, her form was not on the level of beauty with the girl beside her, but she had her own spark.

Rebecca took Nami's helping hand, standing between the girls—his eyes graced the small form of the American gaijin, taking in her similar yet cutesy persona as himself; Maybe he understood what she meant now.

"Rebecca, stop acting like a weirdo—on your first day, too," spoke Marsala, but Rebecca only shrugged.

"Sorry about her; she's pretty much spastic when it comes to pictures." Nami's apologetic smile made the boy take to his feet, slipping his guitar into his case.

He flipped the strap onto his chest, smirking his lips. It was game on. "Don't worry about it, sugar. It's nothing but a moment."

Sugar? Nami did not know if she wanted to reply to his words or not. "Um yea…. Come on, guys, we got to get to class."

The other two nodded their heads, moving toward the door, but Shizuma was on pursuit as well. "Wait, I need some help!"

They looked over to him—he took his papers out of his blazer. "I am having trouble with where my class is." He felt a chuckle go through his brain when Nami took his side. Yet he was quite surprised to see that, her eyes glances were several inches from him. She was like a tree.

She bent down to his paper. "1B—hey, Rebecca, aren't you in that class?"

"Sure am!" Rebecca motioned him to follow her. "Let's get to class, dude! Get a move on it!"

Shizuma felt a comment want to push through his mouth, but Rebecca took his hand to quicken his pace. The warmth of her eager help—it was weird to be around this, but not a lot weird. No, not bad at all.

--

He looked out on the roof, taking a seat. It was lunchtime, but he did not want a bite to eat—the menu of French food did not look appetizing to him. He needed to breathe anyway, away from the society of the rich. His eyes glanced up to the sky, taking in the sight of the beautifully balanced heavens. He rested his back on the wall of the stairway, taking out his guitar. Music was the only lunch he needed.

He strummed a couple of notes, picking out where to start within a random tune. The feeling of the instrument within his hands was perfect—the music wrapped around within the air. He closed his eyes—the entire negative feeling and all his slight annoyance were placed away. He just needed this for the moment.

"Playing your music again?"

His eyes bolted open, feeling the presence of a person as he heard the voice. It was familiar—foreign, sultry, filled with sarcasm. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the dark sapphire of Marsala's. They looked at one another for a moment, but she glided over to the railing on the roof.

"What are you doing here?" He did not really mean to ask her a thing, but curiosity was flowing in his mind.

Marsala leaned her back on the railing, her hand occupied with opening her sketchbook. "I am not a French food person."

She gripped her pencil, enclosing the unfinished part of her sketch with the uniform. Shizuma watched her for a moment, her eyes focusing on the work she had. He wanted to see what she was doing—but instead of asking, he pulled the book away.

Marsala darted her eyes to him. Why do people do that to her, she thought. "Excuse me!"

He smirked at her. "Don't worry, princess. I'm just taking a peek."

The Italian glared, placing her hands on her hip. "You could ask! I mean, do people not believe in manners anymore?"

He huffed, but his eyes graced the vision on the page of what she was working. She took Nami as her model in the sketch; her body was graced with a long sleeve, light blue Juliet women's blazer, which consisted of a longer opening of the chest and flap pockets. Underneath crept a white shirt with ruffles creeping out the opening of the blazer and matching deep navy blue rippling short skirt, which came to two inches above the knees. It was elegant; it mirrored the boys' uniform yet kept a feminine look. He smirked.

"You an artist or something?" He lunged the book back to her—she barely made a successful catch.

Marsala closed the book, raising an eyebrow to him. "I'm a fashion designer in training."

He slightly nodded his head, strumming some of notes. "It looks pretty good."

"Thanks." She did not know what else to say, but he seemed all right. "I'm going to suggest a new uniform to the school—I will not be seen in this dress after this week."

Shizuma looked to her, wondering. "But it such a fitting look for you, princess."

The Italian glared to him—he had no true eye for fashion if he meant his words. "This disgusting bright color should not be a uniform—hey, and I'm not a princess!"

Shizuma eyed her, continuing his strumming. "How many houses does your family own?"

The question was alarming, but she answered. "Um two in Italy, and one summer house here—that's where Nami and I live."

He scoffed—she answered her own question. "Only princesses have more than one house."

"That's only to your opinion." He scoffed again.

"Whatever." He stopped his playing, placing the instrument back into the case.

"What are you doing?" asked Marsala picking herself up from leaning on the railing.

"What does it look like, princess? I'm leaving." He turned to her with a smirk on her face. "Unless you want me to stay out here with you."

Marsala did not like the tone of his—inviting yet cocky. "You can do whatever you like."

He shrugged, keeping the smirk on his face—his icy blue touched her navy blue, making the Italian raise her eyes just slightly. "Can I ask you a question?"

She tilted her head, but nodded…only slightly. He continued. "What color is your underwear?"

Her eyes darted, gaping at his spontaneous and unwanted question. "None of your damn business!"

He shrugged his shoulders, but he was curious. He placed the guitar on the side of the stairway, glanced over his shoulder at the girl—she turned away from him. Big mistake.

Marsala looked at the view outside of the school. She had to admit, she was impressed. The land looked gorgeous, especially since the sun tipped it with its glaring light. She should feel hot within the dress to this glorious day, but somehow she felt a breeze. A breeze that hit the back of her legs up to her…

"So you are wearing red underwear? Bikini cut—that's pretty bold…. and sexy." Marsala's eyes widened, glancing over her shoulder. This boy, who she just met today, pulled half of her dress up. Her anger rose—she pulled back her dress, turning her attention to him. No one made a fool of her, not even her sisters. She was determined to hit him, her hand pulled back, but once she did, he was already away.

Shizuma picked up his guitar, widening the mischievous smile on his face. " I'm glad I did that! Makes you even more gorgeous."

Marsala's glared daggers, wishing she had something other than her sketchbook to throw. "You disgusting, piece of—"

"Now, now, your highness. I was only being nice." He winked to her, but she took it as nothing but trash. "See you around, princess."

He quickly made his way down the stairway, leaving the sounds of his chuckling to keep her company. But she wanted nothing more than to strangle that sound from his mouth. She hoped that he would never be able to be around her ever again.

--

"Marsala seemed mad, Shizuma-kun."

The American gaijin was walking with the guitarist when she saw the Italian girl. She was going to take Shizuma to the Host club meeting room, letting him come associated with her friends. She made her way to meet up with Marsala, but once the two met up with the Italian, she scoffed and walked away. Rebecca knew little of Marsala, but she did know something was wrong—a woman's intuition.

Shizuma smirked, but shrugged to Rebecca's question. "Beats me, spunk."

Rebecca decided to give it no other thought and decided just to continue to the music room. " I've noticed something—about you?"

Shizuma's icy blue looked down to her. "What's that?"

"You have a tendency to give people nicknames," she replied, placing a finger to her lips.

He smirked—he never really picked it up himself. "I guess it's just that I never have time to learn names."

"Why's that?" It was only a simple question.

Shizuma felt the memories spin through his head, just a little of why. Of course, he was never proud of what he did—the pranks, the vulgar flirting, the fights. He knew a lot of things were because he did it himself, but when people saw him, they already knew. He was trouble within his first steps.

"Oh, right! Before we go see our friends, we got to go get Nami."

Shizuma looked to the girl, trying to figure out whom she meant.

"Oh, you know she's taller than us, has shaggy black hair, tomboy—you called her sugar." He nodded.

They walked down to the first floor, making their way to the school's swimming pool. Indoor, of course, the two walked in, smelling the hint of chlorine playing with their nose. Shizuma's eyes darted into the water, watching several people swim with speed. They hit laps quickly, changing their techniques, and gasping for air. He seen professional swimmers on the TV, but to see people his age—it was amazing.

"Shizuma-kun." He looked over, seeing the girl stand to the side where the stands were aligned to the wall. He walked over, watching until his eyes made contact with the very person they came to retrieve.

Rebecca took out her camera, focusing on the swimmers within the pool. Capturing people in quick action was a little hard, but she aimed her camera, squatting down to her feet to receive a better perception. The wild hair boy watched her, seeing that glimpse of spark she had earlier. She looked really cute—the way her hair brushed down.

"You really like taking pictures, spunk." It was not a question, just a type of observation.

"Well, you like playing the guitar." She looked up from her camera, smiling up to him.

He shrugged. "That's true."

She rested her elbow on her squatted knee, resting her head in her hand as she peered up to him. "I think anything that makes you happy, should be your forte. You have music."

"Well, it's just a hobby—"

"For now. Your music sounds amazing! I love how different it is." She peered back to the pool. "Oh, Nami's getting out of the pool!"

She pulled her camera back up as Shizuma looked toward the swimmer. Nami pulled herself out of the pool; her form rested comfortably to her navy blue thin strap two-piece with an amazing boy cut shorts. As she took her towel, her eyes fluttered to the two of them. Shizuma felt his stomach jump when she walked over, a smirk pasted on her face. His eyes glimpsed her skin when she stood in front of them—her abs, her biceps, her slender form was tight.

Nami rubbed the towel in her hair, the loose liquid sprung off as her shaggy hair just glistened when she smiled. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Rebecca placed her camera away. "You silly girl, I told ya I was gonna come pick you up before we head to the music room."

Nami thought for a moment back. Oh, yes, she did say that at lunch, she thought. Her emerald eyes made their way to the new guy—he just eyed her in a weird way, but she thought nothing of it. "You coming, too?"

Shizuma placed his hand in his pockets. "I guess. Spunk here wanted me to meet her friends or whatever."

Nami nodded, her towel ran along her arms and legs. Why was she doing this, he thought. It was too distracting.

She pulled back up, placing the towel on her shoulder. "You think you guys can wait for a minute? I got to take a shower then dress."

Rebecca puffed her mouth out. "That's gonna take forever."

Nami scoffed at her reply, but smirked to mean it playfully. "Well, you both can go if you want, so I can meet you there." With that, Nami made her way to the dressing room, leaving the freshmen to decide.

Rebecca crossed her arms, feeling the dilemma in her head. "Gosh, it's the first day of the Host Club, and she wants us to wait."

"Host Club? They had one of those here?" He smirked his lips when she nodded her head.

"Yeah, they're having a big opening today—something for the first years, like us!" Rebecca pointed to her messenger bag. "They hired me to take pictures, so I have to be there promptly."

Shizuma leaned on the stands, collecting her words. "So, if it starts soon, you should hurry."

"What about you?" asked Rebecca.

"I'll wait for the mermaid." Mermaid was a better nickname for the girl. Mermaids were quick in the water, alluring to the eyes—yep, it fit perfectly.

"Okay…well, see you there!" The American did a small salute, smiling to her new classmate as she made her way out the door.

Shizuma found himself alone. He would have taken out his guitar, but he did not know how long the swimmer would take. So he waited, and waited. He felt himself becoming almost restless—the thrill of waiting like a gentleman was too boring. So he decided to go look for her.

He took to his feet, walking over to where he saw the male swimmer leaving. Of course, once he went through the door, another set of doors was presented—changing/shower room for the girls and the same for the boys. He chuckled to him, wondering if he should just stand there or even just yell out. But his old mind was coming back—and ideas came in. Maybe this could actually be something interesting.

He slid through the girl's changing room, quietly and softly walking in. His icy blue eyes glanced the area—no one was there. He almost felt a little disappointed…until he saw something in the corner of his eyes move. He turned, sliding behind a big towel basket. He pushed his breathing down, trying to not make a sound and looked to the side—Nami was there. Not just there, she was standing, turned away from him, clasping on her light blue bra. He peered over, finding himself very allured when he saw that she was matching the bra with a set of short boy cut panties. Two types of underwear in one day—he was impressed with himself.

He watched her, for a moment, placing on her dress. He could hear her cussing, which made him think she was disagreeing to what she was wearing as well. Just like the princess, he thought. As soon as she was done, Nami began to pick up her things. Once her athletic bag was on her shoulder, she walked to the door. She took her step, but he noticed something on the floor—a pool of water to her slick shoes. She took a step in it, her balance was misplaced.

Nami's eyes closed, knowing that the ground was coming. But when she expected solid concrete, she was given arms. Strong, slightly muscular arms. Her eyes dipped into a pool of frozen eyes, her skin touched the wild ponytail of raven hair.

Shizuma looked to her, smirking. "Watch your step, mermaid."

Nami felt herself become very embarrassed. "T-thank you."

The newcomer helped her to stand; she was rustling her things. It was such a coincidence for the boy to be here for her…Wait, he was in the girls' changing room, and she just finished changing.

When her thoughtful face turned into a scowl, Shizuma knew only one thing. Get read for impact.

Nami quickly took her hand, slapping the boy across the face. "You were in here, how long?!"

"Um, only a couple of seconds?" He touched his cheek, feeling the numbness coming.

Nami glared to him, letting her hand yank his hair. "Listen here, midget. I'm not one to be taking as eye candy!"

"And I must say, I like your candy!" How could he be making jokes?

Nami pulled onto his ponytail, walking to the door. She did not know why, but he decided to take him out of this place—just the way with her hand pulling his hair.

"Hey, Ow—come on! I promise I didn't see your goodies." She yanked sharply. "Ow!"

Nami turned to him, her anger staying in check, but she would let him see a little of it. He should be afraid.

Shizuma pulled back from her, adjusting the tightness within his ponytail holder. "Jeez, mermaid! I'm sorry."

She crossed her arms. "You know, I should either beat your ass or tell the superintendent about you."

Shizuma paused, dropping what smart comment he had. He was beginning to see some alluring things in this school—but military school was waiting if he messed up. If she informed the higher administrative about what he just did, he would be suspended or even worse.

He sighed, ruffling his bangs, letting her eyes look down to him. "Look, I'm really sorry. I was getting tired of waiting, but I got ahead of myself."

"I'll say."

"Look, if you go tell on me, I'll have military school lined up. I've gotten a lot on me, so if I have one more, I'm out of here."

"Interesting." Inwardly, she wanted to know more and what kind of kid he was.

Shizuma watched the taller girl, ruffle her own hair. "Please, I promise to behave." He smiled to her.

Nami glanced to him, peering, but decided to drop it. "Fine. You did help me when I was about to fall…. But one more thing like that, I'll kick your ass, and drag you to the office."

Nami shuffled her bag on her shoulder, motioning him to follow her. He did not know why, but for the first time, he was relieved to see that a person was not aiming to get rid of him. Maybe things were looking up.

--

"What is HE doing here?"

Marsala stood fairly behind Kyouya, peering from his form. The vice president adjusted his glasses to the Italian girl—he watched her mellow navy blue eyes become fiery daggers within seconds. He had no idea what happened, but he planned to find out.

Nami walked in followed by Shizuma who had to keep his hands in his pockets—ordered by the swimmer. His eyes glanced to the form of various girls in all shape and ages, standing in front of a circular stage that lay in front of the back window. It was amazing—it was like a utopia he was just brought.

"This is KILLER!" He felt his hype, smiling to the fullest.

Nami raised her eyebrow to him flaring his arm around in happiness. "You're such a guy."

Shizuma smirked to her. "Why—are you jealous?"

Nami crossed her arms. Was he trying to flirt with her, she thought. But before she could reply, the swimmer took a notice of the Hitachiin twins taking to the stage. She smiled—so she made it in time.

"Thank you for coming to see us, wonderful future clients!" they unison.

The girls scream with excitement, some saying quick comments of affections as Haruhi handed them mics. The twins touched of one another's sides, lovingly looking at each other—then the music began to play. Feeling the vibe, Hikaru was the first to sing.

When Hikaru sang his lyrics, his eyes brushed the brunette's chocolate eyes. Haruhi felt as if he was only directing his part to her—though the roaring of the girls kept her one foot in reality and the other slightly in dreamlike fantasy. Her chocolate eyes slightly danced to his auburn, but kept it only that.

"Hey, Haruhi!" Her trance with her boyfriend was broken when her eyes became locked to Nami walking over.

"You're late, Nami." The swimmer frowned, but the brunette just crept a smile. "Don't worry, you did not miss much. Tamaki and Kyouya sang their songs, so you could only imagine."

Nami rolled her eyes slightly, visualizing the previous incident—Tamaki getting all the younger girls drooling over his song while Marsala glared darts to the girls who squealed at Kyouya's song.

"Who's this?" It took Nami a moment to understand, but she looked over her shoulder to the mischievous first year.

Shizuma looked onto the shorter person wearing his uniform beside Nami. He looked like a guy, he thought. His short hair and the uniform gave that away, but something was different. The wild hair boy looked closer, feeling both of them raise an eyebrow.

"The name's Shizuma Muki." He reached his hand out, grasping onto Haruhi's hand. She was surprised of his mighty handhold, but gave in to shaking his hand. He brushed his icy blue with Haruhi's chocolate, as she just gave a simple smile to the introduction. He had his answer.

Nami looked up to the stage, glancing up to the sound of her boyfriend's voice. Her eyes met his. He smiled, that alluring wicked smile she loved. She slightly blushed, which he loved to see on her.

The twins together mirrored the image with one another, pointing out to the crowd, but keeping their eyes on their respectable girlfriends.

Once their song was over, the girls cheered loudly as the twins blew a kiss toward the audience. Nami and Haruhi just stood, feeling the redness of their cheeks brush against their faces—those two always liked to push the line. The twins hopped off the stage, making their way through the crowd—they glanced to numerous girls, accepting the touch of their hands, stating complimentary remarks to flash their charming ways. The girls gazed happily, giggling with one another—it was too much to be given such a performance.

Shizuma huffed for a moment, watching the twins act the way they did. Of course, he was known to be a charmer when he was not doing trouble. He glanced over to Haruhi and Nami who just continuously observed the twins. Was it he or did the mermaid and the tomboy have glaring eye glances.

"It's always like this." Shizuma looked over to the ranting Nami who placed her arms around her body. "But to be a host's girlfriend, you're not entitled to make decisions."

"You go out with one of them?" asked Shizuma surprised that his tone was more curious than he wanted to be.

Nami looked over, nodding, but the evidence was given when Kaoru pounced on the swimmer from the front. The raven hair girl did not notice his presence coming toward her since now both of the upperclassmen were on the ground. She looked to her boyfriend who impishly smiled.

"Miss me much?" He grinned, but she was frowned.

With one push, she swept him off her as she decided to stand up. Kaoru followed suit, smiling to the sudden urge to grace her with another pounce. Shizuma could not help but fill his mouth with snickering.

"What? That's your boyfriend!" The group turned to him while he tried to suppress his laughter. "More like an untrained dog if you ask me."

Kaoru glared at the newcomer, wondering who the hell he was—of course, he assumed a first year, but where did he get the balls to talk to a Hitachiin twin like that. He took a step to him, piercing his fiery eyes to Shizuma's icy blue, but Nami placed a hand of protest…Actually, it was more like a punch of protest.

"What did—"

"Calm down! You were the one who tackled me in front of everyone."

Kaoru eyed Nami who casually folded her arms. Meanwhile, Shizuma watched the sight of the jumping Rebecca walking over with her hand on her camera with a wide smiled Tamaki hot on her trail.

"Hey, Spunk, I was wondering where you were!" He placed a hand up and received a quick high five from the short American.

"I was wondering when you get here!" She smiled, turning to the blonde president. "I told you—isn't he cute, Tamaki?"

The blonde president rested his hand under his chin, surveying the rough yet attractive spots of the first year boy. Shizuma watched Tamaki who was clearly fascinated in his observation of the first year. In every straight man, if a guy was giving special attention to another guy's appearance, a flash of warning light went off within their head.

Shizuma moved away, wielding his hands to separate the space between Tamaki and him. "No offense, bro, but I don't…uh, swing…"

Tamaki scrunched his eyebrows, wondering what he meant. Fortunately Rebecca knew what the falling message meant—she took the blonde's arm, tightly tugging it around her arms with a smile.

"Don't be silly, Shizuma-kun. Tamaki's my boyfriend." She smiled up to him before nestling her face along his arm. "He's the manliest, so no gayness here."

"Gay!" Tamaki's blue eyes grew three times bigger as he could feel the moisture of tears wanting to pour down.

The twins, on the other hand, decided to continue to tickle their fancy with the idea. "I don't know, Rebecca—Tamaki has been reading a lot of poetry and wanting to help Marsala with sewing."

"No I don't!" His voice was shrilled for a moment, but once a cough was given, he felt his voice was clear. "I do not do such things—the reason is that Rebecca was telling me you might be interested into becoming a host."

Shizuma's eyes shifted to the sheepishly grinning American. Surely, he would have remembered the case if Rebecca told him that was the reason for the meeting. Clearly, meeting friends was not really on her agenda. Such a liar.

"Come on, Shizuma, it would be fun." Rebecca skipped up to him, displaying a cutesy smirk on her face. "Why don't you show your talents on the stage, there are dozens of girls still here."

His mouth was opening to speak…until Kaoru expressed his dismay on the idea.

The younger twin scoffed; he spoke "This guy? No way! None of our girls in this school would ever dream to be with this guy."

Shizuma darted his eyes to the twin. "What are you trying to say, doggie?"

Hikaru could feel the new comer's aura trying to pounce on his brother—no way was he going to let that. "You know, you're all talk, but no action!"

Shizuma huffed; particularly surprised at him for thinking this school was going to be different. In everyone's eyes, one look of him said trouble. Nevertheless, a challenge was still a challenge. No real man should back down of that, he thought.

The wild hair boy took his guitar from the case, leaving the case in Rebecca's care. She smiled to him as his classmate made a rowdy way to the stage. The girls along the stage were discussing with one another, tasting the sweets and tea the host furnished to them. Once Shizuma was on stage, the girls looked up to him, which triggered Marsala and Kyouya to join.

Marsala walked her way to her half sister, slightly sneering at her. "Why did you bring him here?"

Nami raised her eyebrow slightly, feeling the heated aura from Marsala. " Dear Kami, Marsala, don't be mad at me! He was going to follow me anyway."

"Okay, then, I have a question to why he is up there?"

Tamaki smiled, as Kyouya instantly knew the reasoning. "It's a somewhat audition."

Shizuma took the microphone for a moment, feeling all eyes were on him. It was a weird feeling, actually—for once; the audience was expecting something good from him. He would be sure not to disappoint.

He took the microphone to his lips, and with a husky yet inviting, "Hello, ladies… I want to sing to you—something I've been working on. It's called 'That one true escape'."

He placed the microphone on the stand, adjusting the tune of the strings. Once his slender, long fingers began to strum cords, all attention was on him. He closed his eyes, feeling the music within his fingertips, the motioning of his beat in the tip of his tapping foot. The girls looked up to him, clasping their hands on their chest—his eyes opened, his voice was heard.

His voice, heard before to be husky, sounded to be raspy yet soothing to his lyrics. His lips brushed against the microphone, his icy blues brushed against the glances of his audience.

His voice crept through their ear, tickling with the sensation of his soothing lyrics. So poetic, so creative, creeping into each mind—No one knew that he could make this beautiful melody. Shizuma delicately looked into almost each girl's eyes, pulling them to him, as he played louder in certain sections then pulled back into a soft sound.

Once he strummed his last chord, he sang within the last of his lyrics, "No true escape could ever be better than touching the silk of your skin." The last strand of lyrics pulled the girls to squeal in delight, clapping their hands with utter affection.

He looked back to the trio girls he met—Rebecca smiled happily, Nami smirked to him, Marsala thinned her lips. He jumped off the stage, landing among the girls. They tapped onto him, gracing their delicate eyes with his, as he replied with devilish of a smirk. Inwardly they swoon as he walked back to the group he was in.

Rebecca was the first to welcome, holding his case out. "Shizuma-kun, you were amazing."

"Really now." He looked over to the twins who just kept their mouths closed but their eyes glaring slightly.

Nami clasped her hand together. "I was actually surprised. You seemed like a rocker."

Shizuma smirked, ruffling his hand in his hair while he placed his guitar back on his back. "It was special…. What you think, princess?"

Marsala pierced him with her navy blue eyes as she folded his arm. "It was entertaining, in the very least."

Shizuma chuckled slightly—his charm could break anything.

"Well, you're in!" The first year looked to Tamaki, taking papers from Kyouya and pushing it with a pen to Shizuma.

"Uh, What?"

"I think you have amazing potential to give the group more clients, plus your charm is like a bad boys—yes, quite. You would be the "Bad boy/musician type."

Shizuma shoved the paper and pin back. "Um, that's nice to know, but I'm not joining any clubs."

Hikaru scoffed. "Why? You think you're too good for it."

"Well, yeah, but it was more like I don't have the time to just be in a weird thing like this—especially with you." He glared over to the twins while Haruhi and Nami respectively placed a reassuring hand on the twins.

Kyouya looked into some other papers while the blonde looked to the vice president. Kyouya pulled out a folder, smiling confidently as he read. "Name: Shizuma Muki, age: 16, height: 167 cm, cases: was expelled from three different schools, one in Toyota, one in Nerima, and another in Kyoto. Father informed that one more incident from a school, Shizuma would be in military school. Has been expelled for fights, having rendezvous on school ground, and making lewd gestures to women."

Shizuma felt a scowl appeared on his face, hearing his life within the air and when several characters chuckled. "Who the hell do you—"

"Sir, I already have enough things to get you into trouble." Kyouya smiled his wicked, daring smirk—somehow a shiver went up Shizuma's spine. Weird. What did he have on him?

"Look, we're not trying to pressure you—we're only guiding you to the best path for you." Kyouya glanced over to Marsala—Oh, right, Shizuma thought. "It would be best that you just give in."

Shizuma eyed each host member—some wanted him to join, other did not care. He knew he was slammed against the wall for the decision. He really could say nothing. He took the pin, signed the contract without another glance.

"Great! Now if you come with us, we'll show you around and where you will be stationed." Tamaki pushed Shizuma's shoulder to where the energetic president wanted to go. The wild ponytail musician looked over his shoulder, glancing the waving American, the shrugging swimmer, and the Italian folding her arms to the whole issue. Hell, if he was going to be in the club, he might as well be around chicks…like her.

A/N: Yay, Shizuma is in the house! Somewhat of a filler for Mori and Hunny—he won't be an improvement, but he'll be a fun mix. I see him as a Reno from Final Fantasy 7, if you ask me. What a perv, but why is he a pervert? What is his reasoning for being who he is? And does he have an eye for one of the trio (Nami, Rebecca, Marsala).

Actually, I need your help on it—I want him to have a slight crush on a girl for a bit, but I have no idea who. Of course, it will be short lived, but I would like to cause some chaos for someone. If you would prefer a small lover's problem with someone, who should it be—Nami, Marsala, or Rebecca? Give me a choice and why. I need it!

Anyway review and give me a choice.


	21. Your Addictive Smile

A/N: Well, this next chapter is a well-needed one because, well, it's been a while since I focused something on a character I do care for very much. Gosh, it's because of Nami that I got off topic with his chapter…damn you, Nami, and your need for really long, emotional chapters…I don't damn the new kid though…it was needed….well, hers was too, but…..dammit I'm rambling!

On with the fic!

Ps. I love Nami…I don't damn her ….

Chapter 23

Your Addictive Smile

Looking at the papers was actually tiring. His eyes glazed over the information, but since it was so early, most of the words were blurred. Kyouya never liked to be early for school—of course, he was always prompted when he was in attendance for classes and activities, but to be at the school at an hour before he needed to dress was unbelievable. Yet he could not help it.

"Kyo-sama, are you alright?"

He peered up from the papers, resting his steel eyes with precious navy blue ones. Her eyes—her beautiful, foreign eyes—bled concern, only for him, when really she was the one who asked for him to come. Kyouya pulled himself back in his chair when Marsala pushed a cup to him. The steam flowed within his glance, but the smell flowed through his nose. Something he remembered having but so long ago.

"Espresso?" Kyouya asked, smelling the sharp scent of the bean.

"Yes, only the best from Italy." She smirked. "Better hurry before it gets bad."

He took the cup swiftly into his hand, blowing the steam and some of the heat away. Once it reached down his throat, he could feel the instance rejoice of caffeine in his body. It awoke him—his eyes, his senses, his mission. It also awoke him to see her sitting in front of him. Her sly smirk of accomplishment, it was fetching—but he should not be so distracted.

"Thank you, Marsala-chan." His smile, it was quite genuine and very well restricted—she knew that.

"Of course. It's the least I can do—I feel really bad that I called you here so early."

Kyouya placed a hand up for objection. "Don't worry—"

"No, now that I think about it, I am in no place to call you so early."

Kyouya watched the Italian girl pour a different kettle as another type of smell came into the air. It was another type of coco bean, but it played around with the smell of hot vanilla and cinnamon. It was rich with flavor, but it also had such a profound smell of sweet alarm.

"This is one of my favorite coffees. Shelly likes to make these little éclairs with it—next time, I'll try to make some for you."

Kyouya smiled—why was she being so nice to him? To be honest, Marsala, from the beginning, was known to a very fiery person—something that intrigued him. Of course they shared a deep friendship with one another and the affection was there, but he really knew that this was a secret personality. It was quite perplex to be something for him.

"Anyway, about this meeting—"

Marsala's eyes brightened, her thoughts clearly suppressing their meeting. "Yeah, the administration is meeting with me within an hour for the uniform I designed."

Kyouya nodded, looking over her information and design of the uniform. In all honesty, she had a fighting chance. A very small chance, but it was fighting.

"The school is built on tradition and the satisfactory of the students and parents." He lectured. She nodded. "Make clear that sometimes to make the students happy, tradition must be molded into something new."

Marsala smiled, feeling his words becoming the gloves to her fight. "That's what I'm saying—These uniforms are outdated, and all I want to do is perceive the vision of our generation into something we will all love together."

"No, you don't—you just don't like the uniform." She slumped slightly to his comment, but he smiled before sipping his coffee.

Marsala took her own coffee, but she glimpsed to her upperclassmen taking in a long sip of his drink. Somehow, in her chest, she felt the spasm of happiness when he was physically approving her favorite coffee. She wanted to always show excellence, especially to him.

"I admire you." Kyouya placed the cup down when he heard her voice. It was not her usual voice—more like someone reaching out, wanting to be focused.

She coughed, regaining her witty yet slightly seductive foreign voice. "I admire how confident you are."

"I do nothing special."

"Oh, please—let's be honest, if it were not for your quick thinking and your way of being persuasive, this club would never have been so successful and thoroughly improving."

True—but he had to admit, most of it was all teamwork. "If it were not for Tamaki—though being the kind of eccentric that he is—this club would have never formed."

She wanted to say something, but she was smart not to reply. The way he spoke—he cared for the president. It was a very interesting connection—the president and him. In the first day of meeting them, she clearly thought Kyouya did it all. But now, she could see only a bit of what Kyouya was saying. Yet, she knew, Kyouya was a man of true words. She smiled.

"Well, I still admire you." She did not intend it, but the impulse was there—she placed her hand on his.

He readjusted his glasses when he looked down to her hand. It was warm—clearly the cup was giving her heat. But the heat carried onto his hand, and reached into his chest. It was different and alluring. But once he was getting use to it, she drew it back. Almost like an instant memory.

"I should be leaving." She took as much as she could delicately drink from her cup and placed the tray in her hand. "The meeting will be soon."

She rose from the table, but Kyouya decided to rise with her. "Don't worry about the tray. I'll tend to it."

"No, Kyo-kun, I—"

That smirk, that alluring smirk was on his face. She could not contain the feeling when he did that—It was genuine, of course, but he melted it with the fierce, confident smirk he showed everyone else. Marsala captured it within her mind—It was beautiful.

--

"So how did the meeting go?"

Nami sat with her half sister at lunch. The swimmer anticipated this moment. She was so nervous for Marsala. It crept through her mind since several days ago when she declared the change of the uniform. The idea was inspiring and admirable—but the system sometimes did not care.

Marsala glanced out the window. That smile—she did not know why, but it had been around her all day. When she saw Kyouya in the halls, she bumped into the wall when she was not looking at where she was going. She did not pay attention within the lessons when her teachers called for her. Every moment since this morning, the Italian girl could only think and see Kyouya's smirk. She could not even see the hand waving within the aim of her vision at the very moment.

"Marsala!"

The Italian girl looked at her half sister, surprised that she was sitting in front of her with Kaoru, Hikaru, and Haruhi. "Hey, when did you guys get here?"

Nami scoffed. "We've been here for a minute or so. You didn't even hear my question?" Marsala shook her head, which Nami just scoffed again. "Seriously, you're actually like Kaoru now."

The younger twin looked at the girl, his eyebrow sprinting upward. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Haruhi placed her hand up as Hikaru followed suit with his. "We have something to say."

The arguing couple glancing over to them. "What?"

Haruhi motioned for her boyfriend to speak, which made Hikaru comment, "No fighting at the table, children."

Nami and Kaoru looked at one another, almost mentally questioning why the other couple had reasoning to pick that way of stopping their arguing—Who knows.

"Anyways, we were wondering—"

"Hey, Marsala, how did the meeting go!" Rebecca jolted over, carrying a large bento as Tamaki and Kyouya followed suit. The American gaijin took a seat across from Haruhi, opening her case of delicious food. Tamaki quickly took a seat beside her, which left a seat beside Marsala. She looked up when Kyouya finally made his way over with his tray, slowly gliding his meal onto the table beside her.

"Hey, Marsala?"

"What!" She did not mean it to come out so cracked, but she was being so alarmed. Maybe it was the coffee—yes, blame it on the jittery coffee.

"Did you get your approval or not!" asked Nami one more time.

"Oh—well." She expressed a small sigh, which almost frightened the group. "They want me to make a replica and get the consent from the whole female student body."

"What!" It was all shared within the group, followed by the eyes of such comments.

Marsala did not even glance to them, nibbling a little on her food. She hated when too many people knew her business.

"What happened, Marsala-chan?" If it were not for his voice—Kyouya's voice—she would have left it at that.

"Everything seemed okay in the beginning of the meeting." She glanced to her food, pushing the tray upward—she placed her arms on the table. "They only wanted to see a replica on a student first, so I told them I could apply them with that in a couple of days. Then they voted for me to get the signatures of each girl in the school within one week to retrieve their approval for the new uniform."

"That's uncalled for!" barked Nami.

"I'll talk to father about it, immediately," Tamaki stood with determination on his face. "No woman should work so busily while jumbling so much responsibility."

"That's right, Tamaki baby!" replied Rebecca's pumping her fist into the air.

"Don't worry about it, Souh-sempai," Marsala sighed, touching the center of her temple.

"Don't you think that'll be too much work?" asked Haruhi.

"I am not wearing this uniform anymore. Besides—" They looked to see her fierce expression into a chilling, confident smirk. "I can use this as a test."

Kyouya glanced to her expression—her lips piercing a smirk he has never seen on a girl and her statement was quite impressive. He admired her spirit within her work…yet.

"Since you will be busy with that, we won't need the collection for next weeks' Italian day for the host club," informed Kyouya taking out his planner.

He took his pen out, but Marsala placed her hand over it. He looked to her, she smirked—confidently she smirked. "I will do it."

Their gaze held for a moment, fighting with one another while reading the other. The coolness of their gaze made everyone either just stare or eye the others at the table.

Marsala raised her hand to brush his blazer slightly, lifting her head with a small attitude he had seen in her from before. "I want to do this—it'll be alright."

Kyouya felt himself move within her gaze, her touch, her voice. Usually, he would never let anyone tell him what to do. No one would have the right guts to push him from what he desired—but she pushed with such a moving way.

Kyouya grinned, letting his steel eyes sparkle to her. "Fine."

Everyone, especially Tamaki and the twins, gawked at how easily he let go. Who was this imposter and where was the true, evil Kyouya hiding?

--

"Nami, stop wiggling!"

"I can't help it, hahaha!"

Marsala delicately held her hand on Nami's side, holding the fabric of the blazer to where the holes needed a pin. She did not want to make Nami wiggle—she knew the inner fabric of silk and satin would do something like that. It was a common thing, but she was hoping slightly that the swimmer had self-control. Nope, not in the least.

Marsala's lips lowered in a thin line as she placed the last pin to the side of blazer. She picked up her equipment from the floor, gazing at the uniform. It was already impressive.

"Okay, you're done—please slowly, take the blazer off or you'll be pricked," spoke Marsala.

The Italian moved from her half sister to the several male dummies on the other side of the room. She glanced at them, observing the different colors of Italian suits she made. She line up each dummy with names, from the annoying Shizuma to the gracious Kyouya. She looked onto the vice president's suit—its cool steel color mirrored the very picture of the suit she drew of him when she first met him.

"The boys' suits look amazing, Marsala." The Italian watched the swimmer walk over, placing her hand behind her back.

"Thanks, Tamaki is actually interested into making the host club a big Italian theme—espresso, desserts, and mafia." She shrugged, slightly shaking her head to the thought. "I don't know why the mafia theme, but if Kyo-sama consent to it, I'll comply."

Nami smirked, resting her arms around her form. "You really like Ootori-sempai, don't you?"

Marsala turned her head to her a moment, wondering how to answer this. Of course it was an easy question, but she never really thought about someone asking.

"I—yes."

"I could tell." Nami walked closer to the suits. "An example is though you worked really hard on each suit, Kyouya's seems to carry a lot of care in it."

Marsala parted her lips, feeling the glow of her face. "No, it doesn't."

Nami chuckled; both knew she was lying. "I think it's cute—you guys look great together."

"You-you think so?" Her voice sounded too hopeful, Marsala thought. She gave a small cough. "It-it doesn't matter to me."

"Plus you guys are starting to smile the same way, too." Marsala glimpsed to her, watching Nami's index finger glide along her lips. "You're beginning to have that little evil side of his—it's pretty chilling."

Marsala furrowed her eyebrows. "What is that suppose to mean—he has a perfect smile!"

She cupped her mouth; her eyes watching Nami gaped at her. She did not mean to say that out loud.

Nami found she was chuckling, taking Marsala's hand. "You really do like him! You should tell him."

Marsala took her hand away. "It's too complicating."

"Really now?" She peered at her, smirking. "I think you want to, but you're afraid of not seeing that smile again."

Marsala glared at her half sister, wondering why she was picking on her like this. "Geez, Kaoru must be rubbing off on you. You're so wicked."

"Wicked, me?" Nami shrugged. "No, just concern—since you're my sister and all."

She placed her hand on her once more, resting it along the designer's shoulder. It stayed there, Marsala glancing into the emerald. When she looked within them, she could vision her father looking at her, and her touch was like Sherry's—always so concern. It was strange but comforting.

"Well, it's late…get to bed soon okay?"

Marsala rolled her eyes. "You may be my sister, but you have no authority of my bedtime."

"Hey, I was trying to just be protective." Nami grinned as Marsala placed a chilling smirk on her face. "Oh, there's that dangerous Kyouya's smirk. I'm out of here!"

Nami ran out the designing room, faking a yell as she chuckled to the dismay of a Kyouya living under her roof. If there was a thing that Marsala did like about Nami, it was the decency she had to leave before the youngest Florio had a fit.

--

"How does it look, Marsala?"

Nami and Rebecca stood in front of the limo as the Italian jumped out the limo. All three carried themselves confidently within the new uniform that Marsala made—the light blue velvet of the blazer touched their form exquisitely, the white satin, ruffle shirt peering through the front of the blazer graced the top outfit like flowers. The soft dark navy blue skirt touched to their lower thigh, completing the look of the now elegant yet playful uniform. Rebecca accompanied her uniform with black combat boots and a black head scarf to match as Nami choose to use her loose knee high socks and black loafers. Of course Marsala knew they would do something to break a little of the debutant look, so she decided to wear tight black socks that traveled from her knees down and graced her feet with black flat shoes.

"Excellent." She confidently smirked; feeling the rays of victory was close.

"I must say, Marsala, this uniform is way better," Rebecca smiled, twirling her dress as it swayed and barely covered her combat boots. "Now, I can run easier and squat in smaller spaces."

"Like when you stalk people with your camera?" commented Nami, but Rebecca was to busy twirling around.

"Here, you guys." Marsala presented two separate stacks of paper connected to a note pad. "When you see the girls in the school, get them to notice the potential new uniform and their signatures here."

The two girls took the objects from Marsala, nodding their heads.

"It's essential to get signatures. We need to retrieve 500 of them," commented Marsala.

"500! I didn't think we had so many in this school!" Nami nodded her head to Rebecca's statement.

"Well, we have this whole week to do it," yawned Marsala, brushing her hand to her mouth.

"Did you sleep last night?" asked Nami.

Marsala looked to her as the yawn finally calmed down to nothing. " I retrieved enough."

Nami thinned her lips, wanting to say more until the three became seven. A group of four girls walked up, eyeing the outfit of the trio.

Nami's emerald eyes came in contact with them. "Excuse me? Where did you get that outfit?"

Nami opened her mouth, but Rebecca was the one to reply. "Outfit! Do you like it?"

One of the other girls replied, "Yes, it's very pretty." The others nodded.

"Well, if you like it so much, you should definitely sign this waver, and it might become the next uniform for the school!" chimed Rebecca—she pushed the papers into their hands as she grinned with utter happiness.

The girls looked onto the trio, the girls standing to establish the full view of the outfit. A new uniform, they thought. This girly yet elegant outfit created a sense of duty yet class to their form. If it looked lovely on these three, it would certainly look good on them.

"Okay!" One by one, the girls signed the paper, handing it to the punk blonde when they were done.

Marsala smirked to the girls, brushing her hand to her eyes—she really did not think she would be this tired. Nevertheless, resting would have to wait.

"Remember, for administration to make this our new uniform, we have to get all the girls in the school to sign the papers," commented Marsala. "Please, reach out to other classmates about this, and let them have a look of the outfits. We'll be wearing these all week."

The four girls happily nodded their heads, leaving with such a hefty discovery to express to others. Even though it was only fours girls, at the moment, the Italian could see this test becoming a success. She smiled—but not without another yawn.

--

"Thank you for your help!"

Marsala bowed slightly to the upperclassmen that stopped her. It was already day four, and many of the female student body have reached her to sign the waver. It was actually interesting to see so many girls come up to her, complimenting the work she did with the uniform. It was also interesting to the giddiness of the girls, wanting to wear such a piece of fashionable clothing. Marsala could not help but feel quite enthralled with effects.

Once the senior girls walked away, she made her way to the Host club. Of course, even though she had to finish the waver within a couple of days, she promised the Host club to help with the suits for the next meeting. Today was the check-up to see how the suits fit on them, which she needed to see if any small modifications were needed. Of course, it would take time, but she did not mind—she promised Kyouya.

As she opened the door, petals of roses welcomed her, touching her sun kissed skin. She darted her eyes, observing all six host members, standing within their school uniforms.

"Welcome, my princess."

Marsala rolled her eyes slightly, but when her eyes brushed against Kyouya's welcoming grin, she could not help but take his welcome seriously.

"Ah, Marsala, what a surprise to see you!" chimed the president, taking the Italian's hand.

"Um, Souh-sempai, I've been here everyday." He faltered but only slightly. "Are you guys ready to try on the suits individually?"

"We are here for your disposal, my good woman," spoke Tamaki, pulling his smile into more of a pretty boy look.

"Okay…." Marsala gritted her teeth. "Shizuma, you're up."

"Alright!" The wild hair first year took to Marsala's side. "Now, princess, you have to remember to be gentle with me."

Her lips thinned until that chilling smirk appeared on her lips. "Really now? Well, I hope my fingers do not slip when I'm needling the seams of your pants then."

Somehow, Shizuma felt himself regret the comment from his mouth. He apologetically smiled to her, but she kept the cool, smirk on her face, motioning him to the dressing room.

Once Marsala left, Nami and Rebecca walked into the room of the Host club. They've been quite busy on their own with signatures, but always made their way to the Host club. Haruhi smiled to the girls, motioning them to join her table.

"How's the signatures?" asked the brunette, pouring cups of tea for them.

Rebecca instantly laid on one of the love seats, feeling her feet becoming tired. "I'm beat! I never ran around so much in my life."

Haruhi chuckled softly, observing the same happening to Nami when she sprawled her arms around the top of the couch. "Haruhi, I wish you could help out. Just us three girls doing it, it's quite exhausting."

"Well, Marsala does not look as tiring as you two," commented the brunette.

"She should be! I mean, she's tackling any girl who comes in her vision," laughed Rebecca pulling herself up for tea.

"I know, and to think she has time to help with our clothes." The brunette looked over to see the boys lined up, taking their suits.

"She doesn't have time." The two girls looked to Nami—the swimmer took to her tea, sipping it slowly then looking back at them to continue. "She hasn't rest at all when she's home."

"What do you mean?" asked Haruhi.

"She's always in her designing room." She took another sip then continued. " I swear, I would get up in the early morning to swim, and she's already in the room—I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't sleep well this past week."

Haruhi thinned her lips, hearing the observation. Maybe Marsala was putting in too much of her services. "Maybe you should say something."

"I have, but she just smirks—you know like Kyouya—"

"Yeah, she's doing that a lot nowadays!" Rebecca felt her skin pulsate to the mention of the smirk. "It's really creepy."

"Hmm, maybe Kyouya should say something—"

"About what?" The three girls looked behind Nami's chair, watching the very person they were speaking about walking up. Kyouya adjusted his glasses, glancing to the ladies. He was only going to inform Haruhi her turn for dressing, but the conversation he walked into called for him to become informed.

"Ootori-sempai, you came at the right time!" chimed Rebecca with a thumb up.

She was really like Tamaki, he thought. "What is it?"

"I think Marsala is overworking herself," proclaimed the brunette pouring a cup of tea for her.

"Yeah, she hasn't really rested at home—Why, when she's at home, she's been in her designing room." Nami glanced up to him, brushing her eyes with him. He knew her to be right to the point—Nami never was overdramatic with things, so her words were truthful to the raven hair boy's ears. Yet, when he looked to Marsala, she seemed quite relaxed, smiling when he noticed her. Was she pushing all her efforts?

"I'll say something." The girls smiled, trusting all responsibilities on him. And they knew they could.

Within an hour, each boy sought the help of the Italian girl—she tended to broken seams, uncomfortable cuts of fabric, and adding in detailed embroidery to places where she sought fit. When she was with Shizuma, she pricked him a couple of times when he flirted with him—typical ruffian, she thought. When she was with the twins, she felt her cheeks redden when Kaoru would go on and on about Nami's outfit and Hikaru commenting on how he would love to see Haruhi in the outfit—such slight perverts. When she was with Haruhi, she felt the calmest, but her assumption of the cut was underestimated since she kept forgetting Haruhi was a girl—nothing too major to fix though. When she tended to Tamaki, he kept her in conversation and her on edge when she was pinning many parts of his shoulder sleeves—he was such an expressive person. All now that was left was the steel eyes, confident smiling vice president—with him she would do her very best.

"Kyo-sama, are you ready?" Marsala asked.

Kyouya pushed the curtains that separated them, glancing down to the Italian girl. Her eyes slipped into the vision of this man—the very man she ultimately admired—wearing the clothes she made for him. His cut, his design, his fabric—it was different than the others. The way he was projected within her eyes—he was truly handsome.

"Marsala-chan?"

Her eyes recovered to see his face, slowly. She felt the blush on her skin grow, so she instantly turned to her equipment.

"Sorry, I was just looking at how the suit fit you," she commented.

"I see." He turned to the mirror, feeling the texture within his suit coat and his silk shirt. "It looks very nice."

Marsala turned to him, observing the vice president almost model in front of the mirror. She had to admit; she could understand what Nami meant by her detail in his suit. But in her eyes, Kyouya deserved every bit of perfection from her hands.

Kyouya turned to her, grinning to the stunning look of his Italian suit. "The suit matches my eyes—I knew you would make such a wondrous suit."

Marsala blushed to his comment, her eyes glancing to him. "I hope it does please you."

Kyouya let his hands drag onto his tie—it needed to be tied perfectly. "I was a little lazy on the tie, foolish me."

"Kyo-sama, let me fix it." She watched his hand freeze for a moment. "Please."

Their eyes met, subtly yet meaningfully. Slowly Marsala watched his hand drop to his side, which triggered her to take steps in front of him. She stood there, feeling her body just wanting to stand in front him, staying in his vision.

Kyouya watched her intently, observing her cheeks deepening the red that only graced her skin slightly before. She watched her hands—her slender, delicate hands—touch the silk of his navy blue tie, releasing it out from his double-breasted vest underneath his jacket. He felt her pull onto his tie, releasing the knot he made earlier, then making her own.

"This is a knot I would do with my father." Marsala maneuvered the ends up and down, in a hole and out until the knot was made.

"It looks impressive." He saw her smirk, a familiar smirk. He needed to see her face—he placed a finger under her chin, pulling her head upwards toward him. That's when he could see—the rings of blackness under her eyes. He could tell her try of concealing them—makeup only had such a limit to its job. Her face, it truly did look tired.

Marsala could not help it; she could feel his breath so closely. His eyes glanced over her, taking in her image, and all she could think of was his lips. They parted only slightly, and she could not help it but to think—'is this it? Will he kiss me?' She felt herself lift slightly to him, but when her emotion and the heat of her body took over, her sight became blurry. She did not why but as her eyes became blurry, her eyelids fell closed, and her strength of her body fell. Thud.

--

"She'll be okay."

Kyouya felt the breath within his body return a normal pace. Within seconds of Marsala's collapse, Kyouya was already out the door with the girl in arms and his hands dialing to the hospital. It was quite efficient for the vice president to have such help from his father's company—when he was down on the steps of the school; the ambulance was ready to gather the Italian girl.

Kyouya gathered with the others to the hospital, watching the girl in the hospital bed. Nami took a seat beside Marsala's bed, glancing over the tubes within the sleeping girl's wrist. A hand was placed on her half sister's hand as the swimmer felt a hand on her own shoulder—it was Kaoru.

"She only has a case of malnutrition and fatigue," proclaimed the doctor. "I say, she'll be fine to go to school tomorrow, but you all need to be aware of her for a couple of days."

Nami gripped Marsala's hand. "I did not know she was not eating as well."

"Probably the lack of sleep made her irritable to eat," replied the doctor as he walked to the door. "I'll leave you with the patient."

Kyouya looked over his shoulder, nodding as the doctor left the room.

"Didn't know princess was in so much stress," spoke Shizuma, pocketing his hands.

"I knew she was doing too much," spoke Nami as her hand ran over her temple.

"You tried, Nami. It's not your fault." Kaoru brushed his hand within her shaggy hair, feeling the tenseness in her scalp.

Haruhi gripped slightly onto Hikaru's hand, feeling sympathetic. "What should we do now?"

Tamaki checked his watch. "It's almost time for visitors to leave. I guess we can only come see her tomorrow."

Rebecca pouted, feeling there should be more. "Maybe we can get her a present."

"That is a wondrous idea!" Tamaki slightly smiled, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend.

"Maybe we can all think about it at our home," spoke Nami, looking up with hope.

Kaoru nodded to her. "Yeah, let's all go head out."

One by one each person made their way through the door to Nami and Marsala's home, but as Tamaki was being pulled by Rebecca, he stopped for a moment, seeing that Kyouya rested his body into the chair.

"Tamaki, shouldn't we—" The blonde's hand stopped her to say another word.

"Kyouya, are you stay here?" asked Tamaki.

The vice president adjusted himself in the chair. "I'll be staying a little longer. I'll try and make it."

Tamaki smirked. "Take all the time you need."

Kyouya let his gaze rest on the blonde who only smiled and walked out the room with Rebecca. Once the door was closed, he slumped his body in his seat. He was actually feeling the anxiety and tiredness through his body. Of course, when everyone was around, he had to look secure—he was the vice president, the one who was always prepared and left his emotions on the side. Yet, when he felt Marsala fall in his arms, he somewhat panicked.

He looked over to her, glimpsing at how the sunset touched her face. Her skin blended and radiated when the sky landed on her. Her wavy hair encircled her head on the pillow. She was quite fetching, even when she was wearing a couple of tubes and papered hospital dress. He took her hand in his; looking at how small it was in his hand. Yet, it was perfect, perfect in the way it fit him. His skin was lighter than hers, but he did not care because, for once, he felt such passion, such wanting to touch her.

"Kyo-sama?" Kyouya heard his name—so gently. His steel eyes fluttered to her eyes. Barely opened, but he could see the peeping navy blue searching for his image.

Marsala did not know why, but when her eyes opened, she was in different scenery. The walls were white, the temperature within the room was chilling, and she felt the crumbling of her paper dress. It was horrible. She turned her head slightly, seeing the hospital machine and tube of equipment connected to her. Was this a dream? It had to be.

"Kyo-sama." Her voice, she thought, was so soft and so tired. "Where am I?"

"We're at the hospital." She felt herself becoming a little more aware, feeling her body tense a little.

"Am I okay?" she asked him, moving her hand with his.

"Yeah—you're okay." He laid his head on her pillow, playing with her hand. "You weren't taking care of yourself."

She frowned slightly, holding onto the support within her hand. "I did not mean it. I was just so determined."

"I know, but sometimes you should know how much you can handle." He looked into her eyes—she looked a little better. "You did not have to do the suits—"

"I had to."

Kyouya genuinely smirked his lips, taking in the determination within her tone. "I don't—"

"For you, I would do anything."

Kyouya licked his lips for a moment, feeling the grip with her hand. He never thought he could hear something like that from her—she was frank with the others, clearly sarcastic to the tip of her tongue. Yet with him, she would soften her words. Now, it was different—she went head on.

"I would do any task for you." Marsala smirked, his smirk—it looked so wonderful on her. "If it make you smirk that addicting smile, I will do it."

Kyouya pulled his head up, looking to her. "But I will not if you hurt yourself like this."

"I'm sorry." She pulled herself up to a sitting position, resting her hands in her lap, but still holding onto him.

Kyouya watched her hair flow down her shoulders, her bare shoulders. The paper dress did not fit well, so her skin was apparent and addicting to see. He moved his eyes away.

"Will I be okay to leave tonight?" asked Marsala.

"They want you to rest here—just to make sure."

"Okay…." Her navy blue touched his stare, her teeth biting unto her lip. "Will you stay with me?"

The way she said those words—it was not fragile, it was not helpless, it was not a damsel in distress. It was an invitation. An invite to how she felt, to how much she never expressed, to how she wanted to be with him longer.

Kyouya smirked, a genuine, honest, glowing smirk. "Of course."

Marsala felt her cheeks glow, watching him take his blazer off and his shoes off. She pushed her form to one side of the bed, opening the covers. Kyouya slipped into her bed, engulfing her arms around her form. Her head rested onto his chest and her hand slid back into his. They maneuvered each other, resting on the hospital bed with one another, and once they were situated, they fell asleep.

--

"I can't believe we woke up so early."

Marsala looked to Kyouya, feeling the motion of his limo taking them to school. They slept for over ten hours, waking to the slight ray of a sunrise. It was so early, but both knew they could not fall back to sleep at all. So they left the hospital, both uniforms cleaned as both separately took showers and ate in Kyouya's home. Once both were done, they both decided to take themselves to the school.

"Well, we'll be at the school quickly, so do you have anything to say?"

Marsala had no idea what he meant by his notion, but said, "I'm sorry?"

Kyouya glanced to her, seeing her eyebrow slightly arched. She did not understand at all. He pulled her neck slightly, pulling her to him. She brushed her hand onto the seat, her eyes growing until she felt the sweetness of his lips. His lips pulled her, pressing as her form came closer with his. It was spontaneous—she really had no idea where this came from…but she did not mind it at all.

He was the one to pull back, slightly gasping for air. This kiss—it felt as if her lips were made with morphine. He felt so woozy, comfortable with falling for this addiction.

"I was hoping for a confession, but that kiss told it all." He did not know why, but his lips brushed hers before they felt the stop.

Marsala felt her cheeks when he turned to the opened door. Kyouya pulled himself out, lending his hand out for the Italian girl—she accepted it instantly. He helped her out the limo, but when her eyes came to the view of the school, a sight dawned her profoundly.

"W-what—" Her uniform, the uniform she worked so hard to get everyone to wear—every girl who walked in and out of the school wore the uniform.

Marsala took a couple of steps toward the school, watching the forms of girls in conversation with one another. She went up to a group, tapping one of the girls' shoulder.

The girl turned, smiling happily when they saw Marsala. "Oh, it's the designer!"

"You know who I am?"

"Of course! I mean your picture was taped to everyone's new uniform this morning." All the girls nodded, smiling to the explanation. "Might I add, I love the uniform. You should have your own line of clothes."

Marsala held her mouth open slightly, and then replied, "Thank you."

The girls said their good byes to the designer as Kyouya walked behind her. She was quite confused and shocked to the explanation—though she did have the majority of the girls' signatures on the waiver, she did not finish the test.

"Do you know what's going on?" asked Marsala to the vice president—he only smirked.

"Yo, it's Marsala!"

The Italian designer looked to her right, but was completely surprised to see Rebecca pouncing on her from the side. The group made the way to them, Marsala still perplexed to what was going on.

"Do you like our gift?" asked Rebecca, releasing her grip on the girl.

"Gift?"

Nami placed a hand on her half sister, smirking. "We all pitched in to get your uniform out before you came to school."

"Yeah, I called up my father, telling him about the situation, and he gave immediate approval for the uniform," explained Tamaki. "He gave me all the files of each girls' measurements, so we could start."

"Fortunately our mom was in town, so we got a picture of Nami in the outfit from Rebecca, and she got her company to help make the uniform all night," continued Hikaru.

"Yeah, she was kind of annoyed, but she sends her regards to you and wants to meet you because she liked your work," added Kaoru.

"After they all finished them, Tamaki, Shizuma, Nami, and I went to all the girls' houses with deliveries of the uniform," continued Haruhi.

"Let me just say, I loved it!" remarked Shizuma. "I got to help plus say hello to some hot chicks on the way—it was worth it, princess."

Marsala slightly rolled her eyes to the comment, but felt a smile tug her lips. "You all did this for me?"

"Well, you helped us all, so why not help you?" asked Haruhi with nods of everyone.

Marsala knew the job was a lot of work—and to do it in more than twelve hours. It was really unbelievable. She never knew how much friendship could make her this happy.

"Thank you." She looked to everyone, bowing slightly. "Really, thank you."

"Anything for you, Marsala." She looked up to Kyouya, glancing at that smirk that he would only give her. It was too enriching—she wanted to taste it again. She pulled onto his arm, pulling him down to her—she dipped her head, brushing her lips for a moment with his.

"What?! That's not fair!" Shizuma pocketed his hands. "We did the work."

Marsala let her go of Kyouya, and both of them looked at the musician, delivering a double, dark smirk—the group never, in the midst of their life within high school, ever felt such a dark, chilling reaction when the two smirked toward their direction. And yet, with their smirks, a deeper bond was formed—and an unsettling couple was made.

A/N: Yay, a Kyouya and Marsala pairing now. Finally, The Shadow King has his woman and such a person for him. I think this was an interesting chapter…It was pretty fun. Anyway, I think I have my idea what I'm going to do with Shizuma, so get ready for a pretty lively chapter next.

REVIEW PLEASE!


	22. Remembering how Love felt

A/n: Yay to this chapter—I was having trouble with how to write it, but now, I'm somewhat satisfied. Be ready for some changes, information, and maybe a new development!

On with the fic!

Chapter 22

Remembering how Love felt

He had to hand it to himself: sneaking into the girl's locker room before P.E. was a great idea. Nothing was greater to see than a pair of breasts before hitting the field to play soccer. Shizuma took his chance, leaving the classroom early because "he did not feel well". He changed into his P.E. clothes—a white t-shirt and blue gym shorts—but his changing was not that important. Pretty, little girls were what he was looking for and he hit the jackpot…especially….

"Rebecca, give me that back!"

"Hahaha, come and get it, Nami-chan!"

The American photographer, wearing only her black bra and bikini cut panties, laughed hysterically as she ran through the locker room, dodging half naked and dressing girls. The swimmer followed suit, holding onto her bare breasts with the help of her arm. It seemed that the little runt of a first year got a hold of Nami's sports bra, but Shizuma did not mind at all. The shorter girl laughed, dodging the jumping upperclassmen who was grabbing for her bra.

"I swear, I'm not afraid to kick your ass, you little brat!" yelled Nami.

"Aw, but you look so cute covering those little things—you don't even need a bra," teased Rebecca with a wink. "What are they, like a b cup?"

Nami gasped, using her foot to trip the girl. "You little tart!"

Rebecca felt herself fall, but Nami grabbed her bra, holding her before the dismay of pain. The American girl looked over her shoulder, sheepishly smirking to being saved by her friend, but then she saw something that made her cringe---the wicked smile of a Hitachiin twin plastered on Nami's face.

"Nami, I was only kidding! You can have it back." She held the sport bra up in the air for the girl to take, but as she flung her hand up, Nami detached Rebecca's bra. The blonde girl shrieked, flinging the sport bra in the air as she grabbed her breasts. Shizuma could not believe it—today was his lucky day.

Nami took her sports bra, turning away from the blonde as she stripped the article on. Rebecca attached the back of her bra on and looked onto her friend with a pouty face.

"I was just playing around," teased Rebecca.

Nami turned around, walking back to where their things lay. "You're always are like that!" She turned, flipping her favorite finger up when she was in this very mood.

Rebecca follow suit, knowing that it was almost time for P.E. Shizuma watched Nami find her shirt. There was something about her, even when he first met her that he just could not describe. Of course, she had a nice body—lean muscles, small form, sexy legs. She was perfection due to the help of swimming, and her attitude was not ditzy but somewhat aggressive. It was charming, in his belief. Yet, something about her triggered something inside him. Something he did not think he would remember at this school.

"_Zuma-sama!"_

Shizuma shook his head feverishly, trying to cease the memory to come out. But when he shook, his locker that he was in made a noticeable sound. He held his breath, hoping no one would really make their way to the locker. He felt a little okay—the room seemed bare, but he could still hear footsteps.

"What was that?"

"I don't know—it sounded like it came from over there."

Rebecca hopped over to the locker, Nami watching her friend make her way to where the sound came from. At first, Rebecca just looked at it. A locker—she mentally laughed at herself. Why would a locker make a noise? Yet, she felt something strange with this locker. So she slowly opened….and…

--------

Shizuma had to sit out: clearly his nose was bleeding and he just did not have the energy to play. He lay on the bleachers, tugging a cloth to his nose. When Rebecca opened the locker, she just smirked, calmly saying he was in there. No big—not at all. It was the fact that Nami heard the girl's words—that's when he was given the beating from hell. He sighed—of course, when you're caught, you should be punished.

"Shizuma-kun!"

The musician looked over his shoulder to see Rebecca, walking up the bleachers. He smirked, kindly waving to his classmate as he felt the pain in his arm. Damn, that swimmer knew how to hit.

"Sorry about Nami-chan. She gets a little rough now and then," chirped Rebecca, taking a seat with him.

"It's okay, Spunk. I got caught." He smirked and she chuckled.

"So? Did you have a nice view then—of Nami-chan?" He froze, she chuckled.

"I mean, sure…but she kept her hands on them, so I couldn't get a real look." He rubbed his hair in his shaggy locks, carefully watching the field.

Rebecca flung her legs into the air, letting her kicks become the vision of entertainment for her. "You like Nami-chan, don't you?"

She was to the point—he gave her that. But the word 'like' meant something to him. Like was for someone who you approved of before anyone else, someone who was worthy of your thoughts, and someone who could probably be the one to change you.

"It's not like that, Spunk. I like you the same way I like her and tomboy and princess," he spoke, taking his hand to her cheek.

She let him play with the touch of her skin, but she was the one who had the upper hand. "Have you ever seen the way Hikaru-senpai looks at Haruhi?"

He scoffed—anyone who was alive could see the gaga stare the auburn boy did with the brunette. " Yes, so what about it?"

"In an enigmatic kind of way, you do the same when Nami's around." She stood, looking down at him with a smirk on her face. He looked up to her, feeling the annoyance of being investigated or observed. As long as he did not cross the line, he should be fine.

"You think too much, Spunk." He slumped onto the bleachers, looking out to the field.

"Maybe so…but if you have something on your mind…I'm here to help." She bowed to him, letting her hands display a peace sign before she decided to make her exit. He watched her, engulfed in his thoughts for a moment. Sure, there was something he saw in Nami, but he could not describe it without hearing _her_ voice.

"_Zuma-sama."_

He mentally closed the door on the voice and what he knew was there. No, he could not let it out. Not now.

---------

"Man it's raining."

Nami stood, shielding her eyes from the rain. The droplets of rain rested on the concrete, each one picking up the pace to hit the ground. Nami stood under the roof of the school outside, but it seemed her driver stayed inside the vehicle. It did just start raining.

"What's wrong, mermaid?"

The swimmer looked over her shoulder, eyeing the very guy she beat up earlier that day. She glared to him and decided to focus on how to get through the rain. She was still a little disappointed in him. He promised he would stop his pervert attentions, but he was still continuing on. Promises meant something to her.

"Here."

She looked to her side—he was still there, but in his hand, he held a black umbrella. It was not a big one, just enough for one person.

"No, you'll need it," protested Nami, but it seemed he just smirked.

"It's okay—I'm not afraid of getting a little wet." His devilish of a smirk, turned into something softer. "Let me help you to your limo."

Nami bit her lip softly, thinking if it was a way to apologize earlier. Of course, she would not forgive him to breaking a promise, but he was trying. She sighed, frustrated to the decision….

"Alright."

She took the first couple of steps, listening to the droplets hit the umbrella. Her eyes glanced to her side, seeing the first year taking great care into having her securely under the umbrella. He really was trying—she smirked. Once they made it to her limo, the driver opened the door, Nami scooting into the limo. She looked up to see the boy as he placed the umbrella over him. His wild raven hair was drenched and his clothes glued to his skin.

"Thank you."

The first year could not help but rub his chin with an immense smile. "Twas nothing. I'm surprised doggie's not here to do the job."

Nami frowned. "We had a weird fight, so he left with Hikaru."

"Weird huh?"

"Yeah." Nami did not know why, but she could not help but feel like she owed something to the musician. "Do you have a ride?"

Shizuma opened his mouth then turned his mouth into a wide smirk. "You trying to pick me up or something?"

"Fine, I'll leave you here." She closed her door.

"Wait, I was kidding!" He knocked on the door numerous times, hoping he did not mess up his chance. "I don't. I was going to walk."

Nami opened the door, making the boy fall back to the wet ground. Nami did not mean to do such a thing, but when she viewed the cocky boy on the ground, having the rain hit his head and his umbrella rolling beside him, it was comical.

She could not fight the chuckles, but her message was there. She motioned him to come in, so he took it.

Within seconds, the ride was on its way. Nami, close to the other window, rested her elbow on the armrest. The rain, though frustrating to move in, was actually something precious to see. It was almost type of another therapy—maybe she just was an advocate to the element of water. Who knows?

Shizuma looked to the girl, glancing out the window. It was weird to be in a situation alone with the girl now—both have been in a room together, but others have surrounded them both. Clients, the Host Club, Rebecca and Marsala—they were always interacting with them, but not solely on each other. Now that they had time together, where could he start without getting punched in the face?

Shizuma leaned into the seat, feeling the moisture from his clothes. "Man, I just noticed my clothes are really soaked!"

Nami turned to him, arching her eyebrow. "Yeah, I mean you stood there helping me and then fell into a puddle afterwards—you know that's not very cool of you."

He smirked, crossing one leg over the other. "You think I'm cool?"

"Not very much—more like a pervert." He only enticed the smirk on his face.

"Only to the best though." Nami rolled her eyes, deciding to stop the conversation before she would hit him again.

There was a moment of silent, and Shizuma decided to pick something better to talk about other than his clothes. "What did you and doggie fight about?"

Nami looked back to him, seeing the waiting face of his. "Marsala and Rebecca want to do a swimsuit photo shoot of me." She huffed, touching her temple. "Marsala's trying to get her clothes out in the public, and Rebecca wants to practice on photography and send them out to magazines."

"So?"

"Well…Kaoru did not want the idea of me laying out my body like that since a lot of pictures are me in swimsuits." She shrugged. "He's just being jealous and selfish."

Shizuma placed his hand around his chin, cocking his head up to think. "Isn't that kind of double standard because the Host Club has a magazine out of pictures of him and he talks to other chicks all afternoon."

"That's what I said!" She wrapped her arms around her, feeling the anger come back. "I mean, he said it wasn't true he was a host before I even came, so I should understand. He's such a jerk!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Mermaid." Usually, he did not mind the negative, comical comments toward Kaoru—the guy still did not trust Shizuma. Yet, the musician did not want to be hit with the waving fists from the swimmer.

"Gosh, Yukino, you don't have to be so mad." He stopped—his eyes so large stayed open. He said her name, he thought.

For a moment, Nami played the statement in his mind—Yukino? Who was that? As her mouth opened, the limo stopped.

"Young mistress, we arrived at the mansion," spoke the driver.

Nami nodded her head, but something was wrong.

"Wasn't I supposed to be dropped off?" The question rolled off his lips, making the swimmer forget the very reason why the boy was with her. Clearly within the conversation, she should have asked where he lived. Foolish her. She looked to him, sheepishly smirking as he just shrugged his shoulder.

"How about we get you cleaned up and a bite to eat, then we'll send you to your home?" asked Nami.

The suggestion was quick and refreshing. He was getting annoyed with the wet clothes, and by the time he had everything clean, the rain may be gone.

"Why not?"

The driver crept jumped out the limo, but when he made it to the other side to let the students out, Shizuma took Nami's hand, holding the umbrella over her head again. Such quickness to help his young mistress—something was not right.

-------

"Here are some clothes."

Once Shizuma was done with his shower, one of the maids delivered clothing from Nami. Clearly, Nami was still getting herself comfortable or she would have given them herself—No matter how many servants she had, she seemed to do the job herself.

"Thank you, babe," he winked, smiling with one of his flirty grins.

The maid smiled to him, visibly displaying a shade of pink on her cheeks as she made her way out.

"No one can resist my charms," Shizuma chuckled, placing on the long sleeve black shirt, boxers, and cargo pants. It was something weird that the girl would have these clothes, but nevertheless, he should not question.

Once he was finished, he made his way through the halls. He expected their home to be huge, which his thoughts were quite true. The two girls' home was lavished with fine walls, tapestry, and art—he admired the idea of having one himself in the future, but decided that reality would not be too kind to him.

As he walked within the halls, his eyes glimpsed to Marsala walking into her home. Clearly, the girl just made it in time before the rain messed up her uniform—such fortune to have an umbrella. The Italian sighed comfortably, taking in the dryness of her home until her eyes came into contact with Shizuma's.

The wild hair first year smiled and spoke, "Hey, there, princess. I was just thinking about you."

Marsala gave her things to one of the passing maids, glaring at the musician. "What are you doing here?"

"Why? Aren't you glad to be in my presence?" Marsala scowled, but he just smirked as his icy blue eyes examined her. Boy, Kyouya was really lucky.

"Why don't you go back in your hole somewhere?" She walked to pass by him, trying to make no eye contact, but when she did, he took hold of her wrist.

"Hey, come on, let's be nice to each other, princess," declared Shizuma with an honest smile.

She pulled back her arm, collecting her body part from him. "Don't touch me!"

"What's going on?"

The two watched Nami come into the hallway of the home. The swimmer, dressed in a blue fitted t-shirt and dark jeans, walked over to them, sensing their auras to be…well, chaotic. It was no surprise to see Marsala with such an offensive, angered stature toward Shizuma—he's been at school for a couple of weeks and her half sister were annoyed with his presence. She could not blame her. But she would hope maybe through time, things would get better.

"What is he doing in our home?" Marsala pointed accusingly to Shizuma who only held his hands up in defense.

"I brought him here." But maybe it was a bad idea, she thought—Nami felt her temple. "He won't be here too long."

"He better not!" Marsala slightly glared to him. "I'll be in my room."

With that the Italian took her departure, quickly taking her steps to leave. Shizuma felt that he made such a dramatic impression with Marsala. Good or bad, she would always remember him. Nami ruffled her dried, shaggy hair with a short sigh, but Shizuma just smirked.

"She's so mean—it's almost sexy," commented Shizuma.

Nami did not know why but she let out a short chuckle. "You never take life seriously, do you?"

He looked to her, swallowing in her laughter and grin on her face. "Well, if it makes you grin like that, then no."

"Come on, you. Let's grab something to eat." Nami turned him to the direction of the dining hall, pushing him with her hands to his shoulders behind him. Her grip was not too stressing to his body, which actually surprised him—it was soft, pleasing, leaving a slight jolt. He hoped that maybe the room was far, so he could just be guided with the help of her hands on him. It was only a simple hope.

---------

"Man, wish they had springs here."

Shizuma watched Nami drink a cup of tea, sitting with her legs in her chair Indian style. It was actually amusing to her like this—she casually breaking her etiquette when she laid her feet in her chair and her elbows to the table now and then. It was very laid back of her.

Shizuma finished his last sandwich, wanting to continue the conversation. "I went to many springs with dad since we moved a lot. He works with secret organizations. You could say like a Japanese CIA." He drank a little tea, watching Nami's eyes flutter.

"Really? That sounds pretty awesome!"

"Oh, yeah, well, it has its fall backs. My mom left him for it while back—couldn't handle all the dangerous things he did."

"I'm sorry to hear."

Shizuma just shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay—I see my mom time to time, but everything is good."

"I see."

A silent grew for a moment, which both felt the ache for more conversation or at least something to happen. Nami touched her cup to her lips, collecting things she wanted to say. He was an interesting person, but she never really aimed to be more than just associates. It was true he was a pain, but he was just a little pervert. Nothing too harmful.

"Do you mind if I play my guitar at the table?" he asked.

She shook her head, which he took to his guitar. He stripped the case away, feeling the instrument within his grasp—his fingers plucked the strings, his other hand adjusting the tone of it. He did not have a song in mind, but it was just relaxing to have it in his hands. He began to strum a couple of cords with a combination of short plucks. Something light yet pensive to their ears.

Nami placed her tea down, glancing at the lower classmen closing his eyes. She propped her head in her hands, leaning her elbows on the table to just soak in the music. The music, so enchanting to her ears—when she thought she could describe him one way, he would surprise her.

"How long have you played the guitar?" Nami asked, pulling onto one of her hair strands.

He peeked through one of his eyes. "About three—no, four years."

"It's really addicting…if I can say that." She grinned to him.

Addicting, huh? Her words were interestingly used. Yet when the words slipped through her mouth to him, a short feeling came from his stomach, especially with those eyes she had. So amused, so entertained, so interested.

"May I ask you something?" asked Nami.

"For you, Mermaid, sure." He graced a smirk on his lips, but hers only held for a moment.

"Who's Yukino?"

The music stopped, his hands pressed onto the guitar. The way his face did not react surprised her—she bit her lip slightly, regretting for asking. Nami slid her elbows off the table, placing her hands in her lap as she sat back in her chair.

"Let's forget about it!" She grinned happily, hoping to correct her words. "I love your music—play more."

"No." His tone was very insistent at first, but he coughed to turn his tone into something softer. "No…it's okay…."

"Really, you don't—"

"With you, I don't mind."

His icy blue eyes touched her emerald, collecting and hoping she would understand. He watched her catch her mouth, opening and closing—she was at a loss of words, he knew that. Yet, she sat there, looking to him with her enchanting gaze, nodding slightly for him to continue.

Shizuma let his fingers touched the strings softly, letting a softer, caressing sound emit through the room. He leaned back, feeling the memories, the emotions, everything he held back enter his body. It was time to let the door back open.

"Yukino was—well, I'm originally from Nikon, Japan. My dad wanted a low profile place to live. What better way than to live in the spiritual mountains."

"So you were a country bumpkin?"

Shizuma arched his eyebrow. "So what? You trying to make fun of me?"

Nami shook her head. "No…. I just couldn't see you like that."

"Well, I was, Mermaid—of course, I was always rebellious. When there were chores, I barely did any. I checked out most of the village girls, flirting with them. Yet, I was tame, not looking for so much trouble. I couldn't because _she_ would get mad." Shizuma could hear her calling him, sometimes chuckling sometimes demanding.

"Yukino was a priestess in training. Her family owned a shrine in the mountains, so I saw her a lot. When I first met her, she ignored me, saying I was just a ladies man." He chuckled—knowing she was right. "After awhile, we got to know each other, and she trusted me. Yukino was two years older than me, but we meshed really well." Shizuma began to smile. "She seemed like a very sweet, orderly person, but she had her own streak. She liked to play in the fields, dirtying her clothes—she was a big tomboy. But when she mellowed out, we would play music together and drink tea."

"Did you and her…"

"She was my best friend—but yes, we were together, eventually." He smirked, grasping the memories of the good times. "She was my first love."

He held his breath for a moment, seeing the smile of her within his vision. Shizuma ruffled his hair, envisioning the girl before her—long hair, slender form, smiling through her dark eyes. It has been such a long time when he could think of her appearance. It almost felt as if he would forget her face, but he could never. She was too special.

"What happened between the two of you?" asked Nami, enclosing her arms around her form.

He struck cords together, closing his eyes in distaste. "Though she said she loved me, she was betrothed to another guy. I asked her to run away with me, but all she did was give me this guitar—like a fair well gift."

Nami saw his hand gripped on the guitar. Such a tool to make beautiful, lifting melody was a memory of heartbreak for him.

"Ever since then, I backed away from taking life seriously. I was pushed aside, so I pushed aside everything that came my way—I don't try to make friends for a reason." He slimmed his lips, wanting to correct his words.

"You shouldn't think that way!" Her words erupted his distant atmosphere, his eyes glancing to her. "I mean dwelling on being rejected is not good for you."

"Like you would know? You have a boyfriend."

"Hey, midget, I do know! Kaoru wasn't the first guy I liked." Nami pressed her hand on her chest, feeling her own memories come back. "I fell for this guy—Mori-sempai. He was the first guy I liked ever since I was cured from my phobia."

"Phobia?"

Nami cringed, knowing she would have to tell him…. but she knew what he would do. "Well—I was afraid of the opposite gender."

Shizuma glanced at her, somewhat bewildered by the idea of the tomboy afraid of a guy. "You're joking, right?"

She shook her head. "I was so afraid, I stayed in all girl schools until last year—all my servants were women."

It started out a chuckle than became a hearty barrel of laughter. Nami glared at him for a moment, feeling part of herself wanting to punch him in the arm, but decided to be nice. He did just share his life with her.

"Aw, that was a good laugh." He sighed. "Well, anyway, whatever happened between this Mori guy and you?"

"Nothing! I told him how I felt, but he treasured our friendship more."

"So now you're with doggie? You must have gone through a lot."

Nami contemplated for a moment, then nodding to his assumption. "It was a whirlwind—but you do find happiness if you open yourself for it."

Shizuma carefully looked at the smile on her face—it seemed that even though there was a lot he did not know about the swimmer, he knew she went through a hefty baggage. But as he looked to her, he could see it was worth it.

"Maybe, I'll give this love thing and friendship a try again," spoke Shizuma, gazing at Nami.

"You should! Any girl would be so lucky." Wait. "Well, once you calm down on the perversion."

Shizuma ruffled his hair again, looking away from her. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really now?" Nami rose from the table, walking up to him with sheer discipline on her side.

Shizuma felt a sharp pain when Nami reached down to pull his ponytail. He urged his head up; trying to free himself from her grasp until he realized how close her face was from him. Her impish smile warmed him, her eyes glistening as she pulled his ponytail. It was all in fun, but he felt something. Something that he did not think he could since Yukino broke away from him.

"You give up?" asked Nami.

Shizuma swallowed the liquid in his mouth, feeling the parch taste. "Sure."

Nami released him, bending back up from her position over him. She crept from him, smiling with confidence. She did not know but she felt such satisfaction with teasing him. Maybe he was not that bad at all.

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"I can't believe it's still raining."

Nami and Shizuma waited outside for the limo to come to the front. They were hoping that the rain would have stopped by the time his clothes were done, but nature had a mind of its own.

"Aw, it's not that bad—the rain calmed down a lot though," replied Shizuma.

He opened his black umbrella, walking a little down the stairs. They could see a black limo approaching—it was assumed that it was Nami's to take him home.

"Thanks for the food and shower, Mermaid."

Nami shook her head, placing her hands on her hips. "You can call me by my name, you know."

Shizuma turned to her, glancing up to her pouty face. "I could…"

"Yes, I demand it. I mean we are friends, aren't we?"

Shizuma glanced the smile on her. "A friend?"

Nami nodded. "Yes—call me by my name or I'll pull your ponytail again, midget.

He clenched his hand on his guitar case strap. "I'll call you Nami, if you stop calling me midget."

Nami placed her index finger to her lips, pretending to think apon the idea. "But I like the name midget for you."

"You are so rude."

She chuckled, covering up the smile of her face. Shizuma grinned, observing the happiness emit from her. She was not threatened by him; she was not mad to be in his presence. She laughed at his words; she listened to her story. She teased back when he teased her; she smiled when he was actually trying to be nice. She was comfortable to be around her—it was so easy to see why he felt this something. She was so much like Yukino.

"Shizuma?" Nami did not expect him to walk back up to her with that face. His icy blue, looked onto her, but his cheeks slightly glowed. Shizuma dropped his umbrella, slipping his hand onto her back. Her eyes grew large by his touch, but what really surprised her were his lips brushing to the side of her cheek. He planted the kiss to her skin, which also planted the seed to something bigger.

"Nami!"

The swimmer looked out, breaking her shock glance to see someone standing in the rain. Shizuma broke away from her touch, glancing to who she was looking. The feeling of dread was in their hearts, both with different reasons.

"Kaoru, it's not what you think." Nami ran passed the first year, keeping her glance onto her boyfriend.

She did not care about the rain—she did not even care that she left Shizuma on her doorsteps. It was the fact when she ran closer to the auburn hair boy, she could see his face. A face filled with a mixture of surprise, anger, and betrayal. She stood in front of him, feeling the moisture of rain, but when she held out her hand, he turned his back.

"Kaoru—look at me, it's a misunderstanding!" He said nothing, making a step to his limo.

Nami felt anxiety hit her when he took that step, so she moved with instinct—she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face to his back. Maybe if she touched him, he would calm down. Maybe if she showed her loyalty, he would want to hear what she had to say. Boy, was she ever wrong.

Kaoru pushed her off, throwing a bundle of flowers to her face. "I came to say sorry—but I see I have nothing to say to you."

Nami grasped the flowers in her hands, her eyes widening to his auburn eyes on her. They used to sparkle when he saw her—a mischievous, playful, affectionate sparkle. She could only see hurt and dullness—she stiffened to his eyes on her.

Kaoru looked back up to Shizuma, glancing to the first year walking down the steps. The wild hair boy pocketed his hands in his pants, but made no attempt to fix the situation. Their eyes gazed at one another—Kaoru's angered eyes to the blankness of Shizuma. Kaoru lifted his head, wanting to break the boy's spirit, but decided his leave was due. The younger twin, compassionate to the feelings of everyone, turned from the two and walked back to his limo.

Nami felt something in her mind crack—she could not describe this very moment. It happened too quickly, she thought. She was having a good time, befriending the misunderstood boy, but now, her relationship wavered. Her eyes looked at the fleeting limo passing through the opened—that was when she was triggered. Her legs gave in, making the swimmer fall to her knees and her voice screamed out the very person who brought her the bouquet in her hands.

A/N: Oh, no!!!!!! Misunderstanding! Something that started off funny became such a dramatic event. Poor everyone—I feel bad for all three. I wonder, are Nami and Kaoru over? Will Shizuma save her from her agony? What about the situation with Shizuma and Kaoru working in the same club? What about Haruhi and Hikaru—will they take sides? Geez, lots of things to think about…

Next chapter will be up soon!

Review please! Arigato!


	23. Be Grateful to Love

A/N: Hi, guys, sorry for the wait—I just came back from my school's Homecoming. I just graduated from college in May, so going back for the events and the dance…it was amazing. I even decided to wear a dress, which is quite not me (I'm pretty much a tomboy like Nami, except worse). Anyway, I started the chapter before I left, but I did not finish. Now I'm back and getting done, just for you!

On with the fic!

Chapter 23

Be Grateful to Love

She did not know why her friend was laying on her floor. Haruhi watched the swimmer placed her legs under her fallen body at first, but within minutes of silence, she turned on her back, sprawling her arms and her legs to fill in the emptiness of the room. Haruhi opened the door that night to Nami knocking. It was not late, but she was already dressed within her white t-shirt and gray pajamas pants. Haruhi asked why she came, but Nami just walked into her house, silently dropping onto her floor. She was acting too weird to be her best friend.

"Shizuma kissed me…and Kaoru saw it."

The brunette's eyes widened slightly, letting her hand cup her mouth. The notion of a kiss from someone other than Kaoru did alarm Haruhi—other than Hikaru and herself, Nami and Kaoru were the most attached couple within her circle of friends. For a first year, a new arrival to the club and the circle of friends, to make such a move—he had a death sentence.

"What happened?" asked Haruhi.

Nami let her eyes grace over to her friend, pushing her body to turn to her side. "I—I don't even know!"

"Come on, Nami. There must be a cause to an effect," replied Haruhi, rubbing the nape of her neck.

"Yeah, I would like to think that, but I seriously don't see the connection!"

Nami flung herself up to sitting position, replaying the incident for her friend. "Well, Shizuma was nice enough to place an umbrella over me today to shield me from the rain, so I offered him a ride. We accidentally forgot to take him home, so I said he could change and eat at my house before we give him a ride home. We talked about his life, I told him he was my friend, and then the jackass kissed me on my cheek!"

Oh, a cheek kiss, she thought. Kissing was a precious present between two people, but where the kiss was placed gave it a different meaning. A kiss on the lips—there was romantic feelings; a kiss on the cheek—a friendly, caring feeling was expressed. Haruhi felt a smile crept on her face, but Nami still frown to her.

"Then when Kaoru saw, he was so mad. He threw flowers at me when I was trying to explain the misunderstanding," added Nami with a sigh.

"Is he really that mad?" That sounds like something Hikaru would do, Haruhi thought.

Nami repeatedly nodded her head. "I have been trying to call him for the last several hours. That's why I came here—I need your help on what to do!"

Nami flung herself, the brunette gasping when Nami rested her upper body on her. Nami snuggled to Haruhi's neck, pulling slightly for a hug. Haruhi never knew the tall girl to act so needy. It was weird to see Nami like this, but the brunette could see the torn feeling within her. She was going to do her best to help.

-----------

"Hikaru, don't answer your phone!"

Kaoru knew that her brother's girlfriend was calling. Haruhi's ringtone was so different from everyone else—it fluttered with such an electronic, romantic melody. And if Haruhi was calling this late in the night, something happened. Kaoru caressed his arms around his brother, holding him slightly from reaching for his device. He knew that the something involved Nami, and he did not want the brunette to tell her the swimmer's side; he wanted to be selfish. Hikaru was going to be on his side.

"Come on, Kaoru—you never know if something really happened or not. It might be an emergency," spoke Hikaru.

Kaoru bit his lip, pouting to his brother's urge to pick up the phone. "Oh, Hikaru—why must you pick her over me?"

Hikaru looked over to her brother, caressing his soft skin. "Kaoru, I love you, you know that."

Kaoru's eyes watered, fluttered to see his older brother's eyes. "Oh, Hikaru—you mean it?"

Hikaru cupped his face, pressing his form with his. "Of course, Kaoru."

The two looked to one another, engulfing their form with each other. Their eyes brushed one another, lighting the room filled with affectionate. But as soon as the lovey dovey atmosphere came, it left when the twins high five each other with mischievous grins. They still had the charm.

"Seriously, Kaoru, I have never seen you so mad at Nami like this." It was true—though he had been frustrated with Nami or a little annoyed, he would always calm down and try to work it out.

"It's different this time." Kaoru rolled onto his back in the bed, flinging his arms under his neck. "Why was that asshole at her mansion? And to kiss her!"

"Wait, Shizuma was at her home and he kissed her?" The younger nodded, feeling his eyebrows scrunch. "What the hell is wrong with her?"

"Hmm..."

Hikaru placed his arms on his legs, feeling his own feelings become uneasy. When it came to Kaoru, he was no push over for his brother's safety. Nami was one of his closest friends, so he did not want to pry in their business. But when he thought of Nami, he thought of the other culprit to hurt his brother—Shizuma was not going to get it easy from him.

Hikaru felt his lip tug into an impish grin as he turned to his brother. "So what should we do about that little first year, huh?"

Kaoru's eyes looked up to his brother—Hikaru's grin became quite infectious. "What do you have in mine?"

"Let's go to the planning room!" Hikaru waited for his brother to react the way he used to—the younger twin, rose up from laying, rubbing his hands together. With that, the twins quickly got out of bed, placing clothes on as they darted out the room with mischievous smiles on their face. The Hitachiin twins were back in service.

-------

"Aren't you worried?"

Rebecca has been on Shizuma's tail when her classmate told her about the incident. It's been a couple of days from the incident—both parties wanting to keep the incident private. He did not know what to do—when he tried to calm Nami down from Kaoru's departure, the swimmer ignored him, rushing into her mansion. He was not hurt—it was quite understandable. The person she loved was being a prick and all she could do was be alone. Yet, he was concern, mostly for her, deciding to get Rebecca's help on the issue. He should have known she wanted to hear every little thing he was thinking.

"I'm worried for Nami, of course," replied the wild hair boy, rummaging his hands in his pockets.

"You shouldn't have kissed her."

Shizuma slightly growled feeling annoyed. "It's not like I planned it, it just happen on impulse. Besides, I only kissed her cheek."

Rebecca placed her finger to her lip, contemplating on the evidence. "Well, it was on the cheek…But you have to watch yourself—Tamaki baby told me the twins can be quite out of hand sometimes."

Shizuma rolled his eyes, feeling nothing intimidating about her words. "Look at me, Spunk. I've been kicked out for fights and a lot of other things—I'm not scared of those doggies."

Rebecca looked to his face, deciding to just smile and worry for him. "Okay! Then let's get going to the club, right?"

The two walked through the halls, making their way to the third floor music room. Once arriving, Rebecca rushed through the doors, seeing the view of Tamaki talking to Kyouya and Marsala.

"Tamaki baby!" She rushed to him, smiling with a serene expression on her face.

"Becca!" Tamaki opened his arms to the American gaijin, taking her form within his embrace. The couple gripped around one another, snuggling against each other's cheek. Kyouya and Marsala glimpsed to one another, simultaneously shaking their heads—Mentally, they both agreed never to act like them in public ever.

"How was school, Becca?"

"It was so boring!" She pouted her lips, but nestled her head to his chest. "But I'm so glad to see my Prince Charming at the end of the tunnel!"

Rebecca pulled her head up to him; wiggling in some Eskimo kiss with the blonde's nose. Shizuma had to admit, no relationship should be that ridiculous. He made a small sound with his mouth, casually taking his steps to the group. Marsala looked past her shoulder, sensing his perverted presence came forth.

Marsala turned to him, pointing within inches of his face. "Home wrecker!"

Shizuma playfully placed his hands up with a lopsided grin. "Are you still calling me that—after three days?"

"Of course…I swear, I knew you were trouble from the beginning," replied Marsala.

Shizuma simply shrugged, looking onto the president. "How are you today, Prince?"

"Me? You nicknamed me Prince?" He turned to Rebecca with a glowing face. "He nicknamed me Prince? Isn't that nice of him!"

"It is and so much like you." Rebecca pinched Tamaki's cheeks, chuckling to their play session.

"You know, Muki-kun, you're going to have a lot of trouble soon enough." The wild hair boy looked up to the vice president who continued his explanation. "I haven't seen the twins yet."

"Plus they've been staring at you time to time this past days with sneers," smirked Marsala.

"Yeah, so! They don't scare me," spoke Shizuma.

"That's very funny…."

A jolt went down the first year's back, hearing the words from behind him. It was not the content of the message, but the diction of how it was presented. It was so sugar coated and warmly—too much to the voices he recognized. The group turned their head slightly to see the twins walking up, their hands grabbing onto Shizuma's shoulders.

"Shizuma-kun, what's up?" They both patted onto the boy's back, causing the shorter boy to bend slightly to the pressure.

"Uh, hey…." He did not know if it was a good idea to greet them or to just stay silent.

"You know, Shizuma-kun, I talked to my brother here last night about the accident that happened a couple of days ago," spoke Hikaru, pulling the boy's neck closer to him with his arm.

Kaoru decided to pull Shizuma's neck toward him. "Yeah, I've totally calmed down about it—I mean I walked away without hearing you out!"

"Yeah, yeah! So I think we should go sit and talk about it over some tea!"

Shizuma opened his mouth to reply, but the rush of arms pushing him to a table prevented any comment. He sat, visually and mentally, questioning the twins as Kaoru sat in front of him and Hikaru decided to go to make some tea.

"Well, do you have anything to say?" piped Kaoru, folding his hands together as a long smile appeared on his face.

"Huh? About what?" Shizuma decided to keep himself truthful—even if the twins were planning anything, he would not back down from being honest.

Kaoru's face wavered, still keeping the face smiling. "Well, the kiss—you know, you were at my girlfriend's home, kissing her on the doorsteps in the rain. That's pretty romantic."

Shizuma ruffled his hair, eyeing the guy. "I have nothing to apologize for—it was only on the cheek."

The younger twin's eyes looked unto the boy, altering when he spoke to him. They glanced to one another, holding a serious eye lock. Kaoru wanted to punch his face, feeling the impulse of his hands slightly lifting—but he could not. It was all in good times.

Meanwhile, Tamaki and the others entertained clients walking in, casually taking them to their stations. Tamaki grinned happily, seeing the door open as Nami and Haruhi made their way into the room. The president smiled contently to them, but his face slightly altered when seeing Nami being pushed into the room with the gallant strength of Haruhi.

"Good day, Nami-chan, Haruhi!" welcomed Tamaki, but his words were not heard.

"Please, let me go, Haruhi!" The taller girl took her hands to the door, gripping tightly against Haruhi's strength. She had decline to going to the Host club for a couple of days since the incident. Haruhi insisted she should come and make everything clear to Kaoru, yet once she stepped foot into the place, she decided it was not time.

"Come on, Nami. You have to go see them."

"No, I don't! I can do it another day!"

"Really? It's better to do it before things get worse!"

They struggled, keeping their battle to a minimum yet both were standing their grounds. So determined they both were until Rebecca popped to their side.

"You guys are so mean!!!"

The two girls looked onto the American pointing with a pout on their face—clearly, when they ignored the president's presence, he decided to act on his declined feeling into the brooding corner. They looked to see the dismay in his form, curling into fetal position as he tugged on his favorite teddy bear.

Nami sighed, releasing her form on the door. She was being silly—to think, she was an advocate of working out problems civilly. Yet the memories of being thrown flowers in her face and the negative eyes from the very guy she loved was hurting. She was strong, but emotions can be brutal.

Just as Haruhi straightened her uniform from the struggle, she saw Hikaru walking with a tray in her hands. All day she had been meaning to talk to him, but both she and he have been quite busy—Hikaru scurried with Kaoru to talking amongst one another while Haruhi tried many times to calmly soothe the swimmer from worrying.

The brunette took to his side, smiling to seeing her boyfriend by himself. "Hikaru."

The way she spoke his name, he thought. "Haruhi, hey."

She smiled, tugging on the sleeve of his blazer. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah, I've had to help Kaoru out with things—oh, by the way, I got to go. I'll talk to you later?"

Haruhi felt him brush away, just slightly, but it seemed to puzzle her. Usually, Hikaru would stay away from things like this when it came to Nami. He knew if they had trouble, they would work it out eventually—she remembered many times when she wanted to flee to the angered Nami walking away, he calmly said not to take sides. For once, HE was being the bigger person. He was quite the character sometimes.

Once, Hikaru made it back, Kaoru pulled forward from his chair. "You're back, Hikaru."

The other twin nodded, pouring a cup of tea. "Yeah…be careful the tea's hot."

Kaoru took his cup from him as Hikaru placed the other empty teacup in front of Shizuma on the table. The first year leaned in, getting ready for his share. Yet, he did not expect to have his share poured in the middle of crotch.

"AH!" The sound of yelling alarmed everyone in the room. The musician jumped up, holding onto the crotch of his slacks.

"Hikaru!" shouted Kaoru, cupping his mouth.

"Oh, man, we got to do something!" The younger twin nodded when both twins gripped the boy and ran to the back to the dressing room.

Nami walked over to Haruhi with Rebecca hopping over. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, I just heard a yell from the twin's table, and I wanted to come see what happened," replied the brunette.

"You don't think…"

"What the hell are you guys doing!!!"

The twins made their way out the dressing room, giggling, as they held onto Shizuma's wet uniform. The girls followed their eyes to the fleeting twins, but soon they heard another person making their way to join.

Shizuma wanted to stay in the changing room, but all his things were in the middle of the room. There were no other clothes to provide for him, so he decided to just be a man and face the consequences. He walked into the room, wearing only soaked boxers as all eyes were on him.

Clients gasped, blushing to the vibrancy of his body, but once looking at the drenched boxers, their awes became short giggles. They could not help it.

"Shizuma-kun, did you pee your pants?!" squealed Rebecca pointing.

He glanced to his classmate chuckling at him—His icy blue eyes brushed Nami's emerald, wondering if she was doing the same. Her form was already walking away.

The twins stood by the window where Tamaki and Kyouya stood, discussing the previous incident with hearty smiles on their faces.

"Do you think that was a wise thing to do?" asked Kyouya adjusting his glasses.

Kaoru tugged on the uniform in his hands, throwing it on the ground. "Of course."

"We were going to do more, but I think when that happened in front of Nami—It was enough to make a point," replied Hikaru.

"You assholes!"

Nami stood there, feeling glances on her. She had so much to say—her eyes vibrant of disbelief and hurt. She wanted to make amends, to plead with Kaoru that he had nothing to worry about. She was loyal to only him—but now, she did not even want to see him.

"Nami, I—"

She held her hand out, stopping anything that was coming out his mouth. She kneeled to the ground, taking the items of clothing into her arms. She held it closely. To think, Shizuma told her, he wanted to start fresh with friendship.

"Nami…."

"I came here to say sorry." The words were just like his yesterday, Kaoru thought—his eyes widened. "But I see I have nothing to say to you."

The swimmer took to her heel, walking back to the very owner of the uniform in her hands. Nami watched as she walked Shizuma, reaching down for his guitar. She felt her mouth tug—he did not yell, he would just walk away with his wet boxers and his guitar. No one expected him to be so mild to such a stunt from the twins.

"Hey." Shizuma looked up, seeing the swimmer with a small smile.

"Hey back, Nami."

Her smile formed larger. He said her name, and it was refreshing from his mouth. Nothing suave, nothing perverted—just regular greeting.

"Wanna have a shirt on?" she teased only slightly, but he immediately nodded his head.

He reached out for the clothes, but she only motioned him to stand up straight. He obeyed. She took his white shirt, unbuttoning the shirt as they both felt and heard the presences of other around them.

"Nami, I don't know what you're doing, but you'll make things worse," whispered Shizuma, looking over to the Host Club observing them.

"Who cares? They don't believe us, and they sure don't respect you—let's get a little even." The way she spoke to him—so soft, so mischievous, so alluring. He had to say, he would follow her words with whatever they did.

She held out her shirt for him as he slid his arms into the fabric. She smiled, adjusting his shirt to his muscular form. Her fingers slowly buttoned the shirt, close to his form as her eyes brushed his. This statement, this act—the clients were gasping slightly, gossiping with one another with such a bold move. The Host club stared, seeing the eye lock of the two.

Once Nami was done, her eyes darted to Kaoru. Such passionate tools of love were turned into a warning. Something he held so dear in vision was now a dagger for her feelings. He did not know why, but the past experience that his brother and he was nothing compared to what everyone watched. To think her hands were so close to his skin—Kaoru shook his head, but once he focused back to Nami, she was leading the half dressed Shizuma out the door. Shit.

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"What the hell were you two thinking?"

Haruhi stood, examining the twins sitting in chairs provided in their visiting room. Of course with pulling such an act, there would be consequences. Once the club was done with their sessions, the brunette quickly took the boys' to their home, deciding they need to be scolded. Kaoru rummaged his head into the palm of his hands while Hikaru rubbed his temple.

Haruhi towered over the sitting boys, thinning her lips. "How can you be so mean?"

"Whatever—That boy caused trouble to Kaoru." Hikaru leaned forward, finding his own emotion coming out. "Plus Nami decided to do that kind of act afterwards! What was she thinking?"

The brunette, wrapping her arms together. "She was angry, that's what women do."

"Why is she angry? It's not like she saw Kaoru over at a girl's home kissing," muttered Hikaru.

Haruhi arched her eyebrow. "Well, Kaoru, have you talked to her about it?"

"Why would he?" Haruhi looked to the older twin, feeling his words did not need to be in this conversation.

"Hikaru, when did this become your battle?" asked Haruhi

The older twin touched his chest, expressing a fake gasp erupted from his mouth. "Haruhi, when did you become a lecturer?" Haruhi frowned, but he continued. "Matter of fact, why are you here to fend for Nami?"

Haruhi felt her anger boil, wanting to so bad to pick a book and just hurt him. "Hikaru, why are you being such a bastard?"

"Well, why are you be—"

"Guys, stop!"

The two looked to Kaoru, holding up his hands. It was bad enough already. "I don't want you guys to fight."

"We're not fighting." Both voiced their opinion, but Kaoru shook her head.

"It's already stinks that Nami and I are like this—you two should not follow suit."

Kaoru stood up, seeing his brother and his girlfriend realize what the boy was talking about. Within the events, they were becoming enemies, taking sides of either Nami or Kaoru. It was not about comforting each other anymore; it was about hurting the other side.

"Come on, make up."

The notion sounded so silly. Being told to do something like that—yet Haruhi looked up to Hikaru standing from the chair. She placed a finger to her lips, feeling herself becoming embarrassed a little. He smirked, seeing the blush on her face.

"Sorry." Her voice was soft, but that made it even cuter. Hikaru opened his arms to her—she slowly walked into them. Both were smiling, and both felt better. Kaoru looked, wishing that things could be the same with him. But he hurt Nami, and she did the same. Things were slower when one was hurt.

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"Hey, my crotch is dry!"

Shizuma took his slack from the ground, placing his legs through one by one. Nami lay on the grassy plains of the park. Nami could not bring the first year back to her home since it would start things again, yet he did not want to go to his home for some reason. So they decided to just wait and talk within the private park near the high school.

Shizuma buckled his belt, poising the now ordinary clothes on his body. "Tada!"

"You are so weird." Nami pulled her lips into a smile.

Shizuma took a seat close to her, yet placing inches away from them. The weather was quite different than that night—as if the rain never came. Even the moisture within the grass was dried up. Both looked up, addressing the alluring travels of clouds in the sky.

"Hey, Shizuma." He looked to her, watching the swimmer pull herself up from lying on the ground. "I'm sorry about today—Kaoru had no right."

"Hey, it's all okay," replied Shizuma dusting his slacks.

"No, it was really immature of him."

Shizuma shrugged. "Well, yeah, but I expected it from doggie. Besides, I could understand."

"Really?"

"Yeah—if I saw a guy kissing my girl, I would at least punch him in the face."

Nami looked onto his face, seeing the honest smirk. She could not help but to just tag along and smile.

"You know, while we're on the subject…why did you kiss me?" she asked.

He looked to her, his icy blue eyes intensely looking at her. "I don't even know myself."

"Oh."

Nami began to tug on little strands of grass, wondering. A kiss can be spontaneous, she knew that. Yet, most of the times there should be a reason. She sighed, wondering if he was lying—he had to know why.

"I think, it was because you reminded me of something I'm looking forward to or maybe something I miss having."

Nami glanced over, seeing the boy looking up to the sky a bit. Was this really an explanation? Really???

"What?"

Shizuma glanced to see an utter goofy face on his upper classmen and laughed. "That face!"

"What! You jerk, I don't understand what the hell you mean by that—that's why I have this face."

He could not stop laughing, feeling the slight punches from his side from Nami. She was too goofy—at first, she was on this untouchable pedestal, but now, she was easy to talk to, such as Rebecca. It actually felt right to sit beside her.

"I hope the next girlfriend I have is like you."

Nami felt her breath held, seeing the most genuine smirk she seen on the musician. He curled his head onto his arms, watching her cheeks glow slightly. Yep, he meant that.

"Well, you know I—"

"You and Kaoru are for real." He sat back, leaning on his arms.

"So you didn't kiss me because you like me?"

Shizuma shrugged. "I mean, I think you're pretty cute, and I think your personality is great, but—"

"But what?"

"But, you belong with Kaoru. Everyone knows that—I know that!"

Nami wrapped her arms around her legs, indulging in his words. Belonging? Of course she knew he had a part of her, yet belonging to him? Well, it was not how things looked at the moment.

"I sure do miss him."

Shizuma glanced to him, feeling the slight ache from seeing her face. It was different from the one he saw that day that started everything—it was not stained with dripping rain and tears and it was not terrified. The face looked to be along the lines of aching and even longing. A part of her was temporarily absent, and she was not feeling whole. He could not help but to pat her back twice then taking his hand back.

"Everything will be fine—I promise."

---------

The next day in school, Shizuma was up and ready. He had things to do—a sort of mission. And for once, he was thinking to help someone else. He strolled into the Host Club, his hands packed into his slacks. He was so excited, he could not help but to kick the door open.

"Yo, everyone!"

The clients and hosts looked, seeing the musician make his way into the room. Shizuma strutted in, saluting to everyone, expressing a flirty wink to the girls who kept their eyes on him.

"Hey, Shizuma-kun, where were you for the last class today?" asked Rebecca hopping over to the wild hair boy.

He turned to his friend, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I had to get myself ready for a challenge!"

The platinum blonde American cocked her head in confusion. "What the hell?"

"Kaoru! Where the hell are you!" Shizuma looked around, trying to pin point the very guy until he saw the twins sitting with a group of girls. "There you are!"

He made his way to the group, feeling his smirk form into something slightly cocky yet daring. He landed his hand on top of the chair's head between two girls.

"Hello, gorgeous, how are you today?" asked Shizuma to the girls in front of him.

The three girls smiled, trying to cover the blush on their cheeks with their hands. "Good afternoon, Muki-kun!"

"Hey, Shizuma, don't you have your own clients to take care of?" asked an annoyed Kaoru.

Shizuma looked within the twins' eyes—both looked very annoyed with him yet one looked to carry more of an evil expression. Yep, that's Kaoru.

"Kaoru Hitachiin, I challenge you!" spoke Shizuma pointing to the very boy he was speaking.

"You got to be kidding, this is a joke," replied Kaoru leaning his head into a palm of his hand.

"You think so? Well, then you must forfeit and I automatically win Nami."

Kaoru lifted his head, arching his eyebrow. He glanced to the smug look on the first year's face, wondering maybe he was kidding—but if it was Nami, he could not take the chance.

Kaoru swiftly took to his feet, glaring down the shorter student. "I accept the challenge."

"Good, good." Shizuma rubbed his hands together, glimpsing to the door opening.

The group looked to see Nami walking in, her finger rubbing within one of her ears. She tugged on her gym bag, noticing that Shizuma and Kaoru were looking to her.

"Uh, what's going on?"

"Just the person that needs to be here!" Shizuma walked over to the swimmer, patting her on the back. "You see, you're the prize."

"Prize? I'm not a stuff animal or any type of object!"

"Oh, come on, you'll like it!" He winked to her, but it was not helping anything at all—Actually, it was making the younger twin feel a certain type of anger boil into his body.

"Okay, Shizuma, let' get this over with!" Kaoru rolled up his sleeves while Shizuma nodded his head—yes, it was time, he thought.

"Okay." He looked over to Rebecca and Tamaki. "Hey, one of you, bring over a chair."

Rebecca and Tamaki pointed to themselves, glancing to one another yet shrugging. In seconds, the president brought over an armchair, presenting it in front of the three.

"Okay, we need audiences! Everyone come around!"

One by one, groups began to flutter over, talking amongst one another of what going on. Haruhi and Hikaru approached beside Nami, watching that now everything was focused on them.

"Nami, what's going on?" asked Haruhi.

"Beats me—I just came from swimming practice," shrugged the swimmer.

"Okay, Kaoru, take a seat," replied Shizuma.

"What are you doing?" He did not understand what was happening—he was challenged yet he had to sit? Was this a joke?

"Hey, do you want to forfeit and let me have Nami without even trying?"

Kaoru watched the shorter boy point to a surprised Nami, but Kaoru kept his mouth closed. He had a feeling if he did not reply soon, the musician would heckle him or start touching Nami for him to continue—he took to the seat, letting one of his feet hang along the other leg.

"Okay, now with the challenge, this is what has to go—I have five minutes to explain why I kissed Nami, and if you stay quiet, you win. But if you even reply with a word—even a sound, I win."

Kaoru glanced to Nami, seeing her head just shake to the rules of the 'challenge'. Was it he or did he just see that his girl was showing no support of him winning? Well, a challenge was a challenge; he nodded to him.

"Yo, Hikaru, can you keep time?" asked Shizuma. "It would be quite fair if you did it."

Hikaru's auburn eyes glance to his brother, which Kaoru slightly nodded. There was no loss if he agreed to the lower classmen's wishes. But he did not have a watch.

"Hikaru." He looked to his side, glancing to Haruhi handing him her small, androgynous watch. He nodded as she just smiled. He took the item, waiting and....

"It starts now."

This was it—Shizuma knew a lot was on the line and he hoped that Kaoru would keep himself maintained and he could say what he needed to say before time went. Kami, for once, be on his side, he thought.

"You must be thinking—why, of all people, was this first year at your girl's home?" He looked to see Kaoru—he was keeping still. "She was being a sensible person, lending me a ride home in the rain. But she forgot to ask where I lived before the driver made it to her home. I didn't just show up, she didn't ask me over. It just happened."

Kaoru mentally felt a slight wall fall down, but there were still so much to question. He only had less than 5 minutes to get what he needed.

"She took me in, offered me dry clothes and food with a little bit of conversation." Yes, Shizuma, that's it—but be careful with your words, he thought. "When we talked, I felt comfortable talking to her—we talked about things that I've never told anybody." Whoa, that sounds misleading. "Only a true friend would know—nothing too out there."

He did not have to see the face Nami was making for a moment—a scoff was slightly made, but he continued.

"When your limo came, we thought it was hers to take me home." Here goes. "When I kissed her, you might think I took the plunge."

He could slightly see Kaoru's grip on the armchair stiff slightly—Shizuma let him have that one movement.

"I kissed her on the cheek—it was an impulse, but I still respected her position in your relationship." Shizuma looked over to Nami, who clearly kept her hand on an object around her neck. "Nami is a pretty awesome chick—she 's funny, aggressive, cool, and really cute."

Kaoru glanced over to Nami, seeing a little how the swimmer arched her eyebrow to the implication. He knew what she was like—everything that Shizuma described was exactly how he saw her. Yet it was only a small reminder of what he knew of her.

"But Nami is yours—I mean your love." He looked to her then back to Kaoru. "When I was younger, I fell in love with this amazing girl who was like Nami in a lot of ways. But she was taken under my grasp before I even knew it. I questioned what love is and decided to banish it away. I became meaner and didn't care about people who didn't care about me—if they messed with me, I messed with them."

His eyes pierced with Marsala to Hikaru then back to Kaoru. It was almost indications and points were made with who judged him and insulted him. Point taken.

"But since I know what it feels like to have someone you love more than anyone taken from you by someone else—I would never do that to you." Their eyes stood against one another, but the auburn hair boy saw him to be true. "But unlike the girl I loved, Nami is still here. She worries about you and loves you."

Kaoru glanced to the swimmer again, collecting the slight nod he was hoping he saw. Several walls fell down within him.

"I know you're mad at both of us, but you should be mad at yourself as well." Kaoru looked back to Shizuma, mentally wondering what he meant. "You stepped away from her, without much of a word."

Shizuma placed his hand to his chest, seriously glancing into the boy. "When you love someone, you have to be fair and calm. You both have something real, something we all see." He felt his lip smirk a bit. "I kissed her because I admire Nami, especially because even though she knew I could be trash and a jerk, she still was nice to me—she's called me a friend, a word I haven't heard in a while."

He looked over to Nami who slipped a smile to her face then he looked back to Kaoru—his face softened, but he was still standing strong. "But no matter what you think and how you feel, Nami trusts you without thinking twice when you have more than 30 clients. She trusts you, and hopes you do the same. I don't hate or dislike you—all I want is to know Nami is happy, because she would not be without you."

Kaoru felt that last wall fall, seeing the glimpse of the things he missed. He remembered when Nami was going to move to Italy with her family, yet she was there—she held him, kissed him, wiped his tears when she should have been on her way. She stayed because she could not be without him, and truthfully, he felt the same way.

"Time!"

Hikaru clasped the item, giving it back to the brunette who took to his arms quickly. Shizuma tucked his hands into his pockets. He took in a deep breath, waiting on Kaoru to say something. The younger twin looked at him, making up his mind before he rose from the chair. The two boys kept a glance up to one another, almost as if they were reading each other. Yet, Kaoru was the one to move—he reached out his hand, waiting for a simple handshake.

Shizuma looked at his hand then his face numerous times for the moment. Did he want to shake his head? Was this real or another prank? "Are you going to do another joke on me?"

Kaoru slipped his lips into a grin. "Nah, not this time. I think we're all done with corruption for a while."

Shizuma smirked, feeling that maybe his words really helped. He took his hand, clasped it with Kaoru, and shook vigorously with his strength. Once the seal was done, everyone either clapped and made a sound of happiness. It was something different yet pleasing to know that maybe peace was there.

Kaoru bent down to Shizuma, letting his mouth sit inches away from the younger boy's ear. "Next time, something like this happens, I might take out your face."

Shizuma tugged on his smirk when he saw the jokingly, mischievous eyes of the twin sparkle. "Well, I'll just run away before you can try."

The two nodded, but once the exchange was done, Kaoru looked to Nami. The tall swimmer stood, focusing on his gaze on her as Rebecca and Haruhi faintly pushed her to go. She took a couple of steps, feeling anxiety and worry strip from her form. This was it—the problem was done and everything was okay.

"I'm sorry, Nami. I was being foolish."

His words slipped through her ears, but she gave them no thought. Nami quickly dropped her gym bags, running up to him. She jumped up, wrapping her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck. At first the twin was surprised, feeling the impact of her body, yet he welcomed it, closing his arms around her.

"I guess you missed me a lot, huh?" he asked, his lips pulling into a smile.

"Uh, yeah!" With that, She lowered her head, touching her lips to his. She felt her happiness flourish in her body—it was so long since she felt him around her. She longed for his presence with hers, his touch on her. Now, she did not even care if people were watching. Everything was good, and she had to celebrate with his lips.

Shizuma could not watch anymore—it was enough how lovey dovey Rebecca was with Tamaki, but now Nami and Kaoru. He felt a chuckle leave as he turned to walk over to the group.

"Muki-kun?"

His icy blue looked at groups of girls, lining up in his vision. All of them different in height and physical appearance. Well, they were all hot, he thought. He stood, watching the glances they gave him, wondering why they called to him.

"Is it true that you loved someone and they rejected you for another?" one of the girls asked.

Shizuma thinned his lips for a moment, nodding his head. "Yea, all she left me was my guitar."

The girls fell teary eye, gripping onto their chest or uniform. "How awful!"

"Yes, you must be my client now," spoke one of the girls, taking his arm quickly.

"No, I want to be your client—I always thought you were really compassionate!" replied another taking the other arm.

One by one, girls were arguing, complimenting the wild hair boy of how he was truly not so much of a bad boy. Shizuma watched in amazement at the chaos of girls wanting to be around him. If he knew his story was going to do this to girls, he would have done it sooner! Thank you, Kami!

A/N: Well, this is the chapter. Of course Kaoru and Nami are going to be together—I just wanted a jealous fight or something. They are too cute, and I really liked writing a small duel against Hikaru and Haruhi—they do not fight too often. With Shizuma, I think one of these days; I'll let him find a good girl for him.

The next chapter is coming up soon: the hint of the plot—summer break, a trip to Italy. Oh, my!

Review please!


	24. A Union to Remember: part one

A/N: Tada, I'm back in action…that's all I want to say!

Chapter 24

A Union to Remember: part one

His shoulder was quite soft on the plane. Nami sat with Kaoru enjoying the scenery of the sky out her window, but she enjoyed his touch most of all. Summer break started a couple of days ago, which excited everyone. To think in half an hour, they would be in Italy to visit her family—she was quite looking forward to the trip.

"Are we there yet?"

Rebecca flung herself over Nami and Kaoru's chairs, leaning over to look at them. The swimmer looked over to Kaoru who was too busy listening to his music to notice the blonde. Well, that was until the punk photographer took a picture of him from above.

"What the—Rebecca, shouldn't you sit back into your chair?" asked Kaoru, letting his earphones off his ears.

"I know, but I'm so antsy…. Being in planes freak me out!" whined Rebecca with a pout.

Tamaki joined his girlfriend, peering over them with a dashing smile to her. "Oh, she's so cute! How can you be mean to her, Kaoru!"

"It's actually really easy." A scowl crept from the photographer's mouth, but the blonde host president only rubbed her back.

Nami peered over to the seat across from hers to see sleeping Haruhi and Hikaru. The two took two days to organize and help the brunette achieve a passport—it was actually quite comical to see the frustration with Hikaru of the whole matter. Yet they accomplished their goal, leaving quite exhausted to pay attention within the ride to the country. No matters, it was quite cute to see them so close and peaceful.

"Uno!"

Within the back of the plane, Shizuma played rounds of the card game Uno with Marsala and Kyouya. Actually, the first year decided to show them how to play a game they never heard of, making it easier for the boy to win. Marsala frowned looking at the numerous diverse cards in her hands as she narrowed her dark blue eyes.

"You are cheating," she spoke, placing her cards in his lap.

He laughed, gathering the cards to shuffle. "No, I'm not—you just stink."

"I don't know, Muki-kun. We've been playing numerous times, yet you seem to always have the draw four cards in your hand," inspected Kyouya.

Shizuma rolled his eyes, yet decided to look away from the vice president. "I have no idea you're talking about."

"If Kyouya-sama expects you of cheating, I do as well." She glared at him, but he just whistled his way with putting the cards away. "Hey, we're not done playing! Deal the cards."

Nami felt herself chuckling, catching her boyfriend looking into her direction. "What?"

"You seem to be in a very good mood, that's all," he replied.

Nami sat back into her chair, slightly leaning into his arm. "Well, I am pretty excited. It's nice to have us all on a trip together—though I wonder why mom and dad summoned all of us to come."

Kaoru shrugged as he leaned back into his seat with his arm around his girlfriend. "Dunno, but I hope it's good."

Yes, she hoped that as well. She thinned her lips for a moment, recollecting the voice of her mother on the phone for their presences in Italy. It was not that Kumiko called for her to visit, but the way she persuaded her daughter to bring everyone was a little mysterious, even for her.

--------

"Little Nami!"

"Mama!"

The two raven hair Yamazakis ran toward one another, engulfing their arms around the other. Of course it has only been a couple of months since their last visit, but it was always a treat. Kumiko ran her hand along Nami's head, feeling the shaggy curls of the girl in her grasp.

"Well, you seem to be quite well, which is good," she hummed.

"I am—school is great, and I've become the Co-captain of our swim team," she replied happily.

"Oh that's good!" Kumiko smiled happily, gracing her eyes to Marsala who stood beside Kyouya. "Marsala, come here! I want to see you, too."

Marsala slightly pointed at her, wondering for a moment of her summon. The girl looked up to her boyfriend who only smiled. She was not very close to Kumiko—they knew of each other's existence and the importance each had to her father's life. Yet, she was smiling, motioning the girl to walk up to her. Whatever.

Kumiko watched her make her way to her. "How is school with you?"

"It is good—I've been actually working on my clothes to submit to an agency," spoke Marsala.

Kumiko clasped her hands together. "Oh, I thought you would be this talented. That's good to hear."

"Thanks." Marsala blinked for a moment, taking in how genuine the woman was. "Um, where's father?"

"Oh, Vincent is in the house getting things ready with Chianti and Sherry." Kumiko looked to the group, indicating each one with a look of remembrance until he saw the wild hair boy. "Well, who is this?"

Nami looked over her shoulder, rolling her eyes when she watched her mother float over to Shizuma. They all watched the older woman take the boy by the arm, squeezing her chest to his body. Typical mother, she thought.

"Mama, this is Shizuma Muki—he's part of the Host Club, a first year." It seemed at the moment her mother was busy with her flirting—batting her eyes, touching his muscles, flaunting her chest. "Mama, can you please!"

Kumiko chuckled, smirking with her seductive lips. "Oh, you were never fun. Fine, fine, I'll behave."

"No!" Shizuma pulled her back when she was trying to release. "I don't mind it at all!"

Kumiko smiled, batting her eyes. "Well, aren't you a cutie!"

Shizuma smirked, flashing his suave expression to the older Yamazaki until he felt an aura. He looked over to Nami, seeing the frown and horrid glare of the swimmer. Maybe it wasn't okay to act this way—he took his arm away from Kumiko, sheepishly sliding his suave look to an innocent look. Kumiko was confused for a moment until she looked back at her daughter. What's the harm in a little flirting?

"Well, let's go inside, shall we?" asked Kumiko walking to the door.

As the group walked into the mansion, two lines of servants bowed to the entering group. The building looked very impressive outside—a white mansion with golden lining along the windows, but the view inside was superb. As they walked in, they saw the floor to be as covered in a nice cream color, chandeliers made of crystals and gold peered over their heads, and a staircase of elegance presented itself fifty yards ahead. The mansion was quite spacious but inviting to the group.

"Wow! This is really awesome!" unison Rebecca and Shizuma.

The two teamed up together, pointing and indicating the things they saw. Rebecca began taking pictures as Shizuma squeezed himself into the frame of some of the shots. Everyone watched them, almost not knowing if it was a great idea to bring the two along.

"Marsala, Nami!"

The two girls looked to see where their names were called until the vision of Vincent presented itself from the far right entrance of a room. He walked in, opening his arms, flashing only the sincere smile he could muster. Now this time, it was Marsala's turn to become excited to see her parent.

"Papa!" Marsala ran to him, her arms out to hold him. She closed the space between them; he picked her up with a slight twirl to their embrace. The simple acknowledgement of their reunion was something that none thought the fashion designer could do.

Marsala kissed her father on the cheek, smiling with her heart's content. "Papa, I want you to meet someone."

Vincent placed the girl down, watching his youngest walk over to Kyouya. She simply took his hand, escorting him to her father. Marsala smiled, feeling a little blush on her cheeks.

"This is Kyouya Ootori—he is my boyfriend," she explained.

Vincent's eyes looked over the boy—he was quite composed and cool in his stance, quite handsome yet very business like. Kyouya watched the man turn his thin lips into a smirk, mirroring the same expression on his face.

Kyouya slightly bowed. "It is nice to meet you again, Florio-kun."

Vincent smirked, letting his hand brush against his hair. "Thank you, Kyouya—and thank you for watching over my Marsala."

Marsala looked up to her father, arching her eyebrow. "Watching over? We're dating."

Vincent chuckled, carrying a smile on his face. "Yeah, but you still are a handful."

"Really? She is?" asked Kyouya, letting his glance slide over to his annoyed girlfriend.

"Oh, yes—When she's with her sisters, she usually brings on chaos," replied Vincent.

"Hey, I'm right here!" Marsala folded her arms together but Vincent reassured he was slightly kidding with a back to her hand.

Nami bit her lip, slightly taking in the incident. It was true, she was happy to see Vincent, but she was still getting used to the idea of having a father. It had been years of her thoughts wondering, but now here he was.

Vincent's emerald graced Nami's emerald, his smile widening when she smiled back. "Come here, Nami."

The swimmer rubbed her hair for a moment, feeling her mother give her a slight push to her dad. She walked over, feeling her heart race—but that went very quickly when she felt her father reach down and hug her tightly. It was reassuring to know that formalities were gone and distance was evaporating.

Once he released his hug, Nami pat Vincent on the arm, holding a smile. "It's great to see you, dad!"

"Ah, it just sounds nice to hear that name from you." He smiled, and bent down to her. "So which one is Kaoru?"

Nami grinned widely, looking over her shoulder back at the group. Her eyes sparkled when Kaoru caught her glance, her hand opened out to him. It was his time for introductions—of course he was not too nervous, but meeting parents were something new.

Kaoru walked over with Kumiko trailing behind him as she took Vincent's side. The two parents looked as Nami took to Kaoru's hand, observing how she neatly fixed his shirt.

"So this is the little trouble maker who made Nami stay in Japan," spoke Vincent.

Kaoru watched as the Florio man changed from a nice man to a stern, serious business like man. It was as if the glance of his emerald eyes looked down apon him—he gulped, feeling that maybe the father thought of him as an obstacle of his relationship to his daughter.

Kumiko patted her hand on her fiancé's arm. "Don't do that, Vincent. You're scaring the children!"

Vincent broke from his stature, letting a hearty laugh jump through his mouth. "I am only kidding, son!"

Vincent reached out his hand, slapping it on the boy's back with a genuine smile. Kaoru smirked, feeling the impact of his—whoa, he was strong, he thought.

"In this house, you're family." He looked out to the group. "All of you!"

Nami smiled, whispering into her boyfriend's ear. "Sorry, wasn't expecting that."

"You're telling me," he replied.

"Come, Chianti and Sherry are done with things in the dining room." He placed a hold onto Kumiko, glancing down to the blushing woman. "You've had a long flight, and we prepared an amazing lunch."

Rebecca and Shizuma looked at one another, childlike smiles gleamed onto their faces. "Yay, rich food!"

----------

At the table, everyone was gallantly finishing up their meal. Of course they were expecting Italian food, but they were all not ready for the meal to be so various. Sherry smiled her widest when hearing the compliments from the others to her food as Chianti felt her mouth pull into a smile when everyone was dazzled by the playing of her violin.

"You guys are always showing off," remarked Marsala, placing her napkin on the table.

"My, Marsala, I thought since you would be getting a boyfriend, he would show you how to be a lady," replied Chianti touching her napkin to her face.

The youngest Florio glanced to her sister, finding a frown to her face. "Hey, I am a lady!"

"Sorry, we're late!"

The group watched the two graduates of their school and fellow Host members walk into the dining room. It was quite the reunion as many of the hosts stood up, collecting hugs from their friends, Nami and Haruhi received their usual handgrip from Hunny, and Nami received quite the smirk and glance of a hello from Mori. Just as the boys made their way to their friends, Sherry patted her hand down on a seat to her right for Hunny and Chianti brought a chair open for Mori. The two quickly took their places with their respectable girl, either giving a warm smile as they sat or a hand to their hand.

"So, are you dating now?" asked Marsala to her older sisters.

Chianti felt a slight cough come over her while Sherry felt a bright smile cover her face—it was Sherry who decided to speak. "Well, with only the most consideration, we have made it quite the step to do so."

Shizuma ruffled his hand to his hair as he whispered over to Rebecca, "Is that the rich way of saying yes?"

Rebecca shook her head but shrugged at the same time. She took it as yes, but then again, she might be trying to cover up. Maybe it was a rich thing she missed on learning.

Just as the conversation derived more questions, Kumiko took her glass of water and hit it several times with the use of her fork. Everyone looked to the woman, smiling brightly as she placed the things down.

"Now that I have everyone I need in the room, we must discuss a couple of things," spoke Kumiko with a warm smile.

The teens looked apon her, carefully giving her the attention she needed. Though they were quite excited to be in the country of Italy and to see their other friends, they were summoned here.

Kumiko cleared her throat with a simple cough, and then smiling onto them as her eyes glittered with a sort of enthusiasm.

"I am very thankful of you all for coming. It has been a thrilling moment when I saw all the little friends my daughter and Marsala has made." She smiled feeling quite compelled to her emotions. "Why just thinking of the past, I often recall visiting my little Nami surrounded only by girls who showed such admiration for her—"

"You mean admirers, right? Lesbian admirers?" Kaoru could not help but chuckle his comment out, but his girlfriend gave him a short elbow jab into his gut to silence him once more.

"Well…I have called you here to know that Vincent and I are of need of your help."

Kumiko placed her hand down, sliding it into the man's hand, which he decided to take a standing position as well. The group looked to one another, wondering what was going on.

"We would like to ask you all if you would be so kind as to be a part of Kumiko and my union."

Everyone was quite alarmed by the notion—they knew of the situation of Kumiko and Vincent but to be part of such a thing. Many were happy about it, some were quite skeptical, and well others….

Marsala stood, her eyes widening to the development. "Papa, why did you not tell me about this?"

"Marsala, we told Nami and you that we were engaged before we left Japan," he spoke, slightly raising his eyebrow.

She shook her head. "Don't you think it is too soon—

"Marsala…." Chianti understood her sister's inner thoughts. A new mother, err in a way, was coming into their family.

Kumiko walked to the youngest Florio sister, taking her hand into hers. "Marsala, I—I know I will never be the mother that you had—I don't want to be. Your mother is your mother, but I love your father more than any other man I have ever met."

Marsala closed her eyes, wondering what to feel. Her mother died because she gave life to her—she never saw the smile or heard her call her name, but she was still her mother. It was so hard to believe that this woman would become a role of what her mother should be. But once she opened her eyes, she could see the yearning and the determination of Kumiko's eyes. She was hoping to not be a problem, but to be part of her family.

"I understand." Kumiko smiled lightly, squeezing the girls' hand.

Kumiko took her into a hug, whispering, "I am not your mother, but I want to be there for you like I am for Nami."

Marsala touched her back, feeling the brush of her raven hair on her face. So this is what a mother's hug felt like—it was quite warm.

Kumiko broke the embrace, a slight tear coming from her eye. "I was wondering if you could do the honors to help design the suits for the groom, groomsmen, bridesmaids, and I would love it if you could personally make my wedding dress."

Marsala's heart fluttered, her eyes felt as if tears would rush out. This woman—_this woman_—she only saw such a small collection of the Italian girl's work but she had such faith in her. Marsala felt nothing but praise and love come from what she was asking.

"I would be honored," Marsala spoke, which made the Yamazaki woman, smile vivaciously.

Kumiko bowed slightly to her before deciding to walk back to her place with Vincent. Her eyes looked to him, a sweet caress of affection as she placed her hand back into his palm.

Vincent looked out to his other daughter knowing it would not be fair if Marsala was the only one given such a big job.

"Chianti."

The eldest daughter stood up, adjusting her glasses as she felt everyone's eyes on her. "Yes, Papa?"

"I would be honored if you would play and compose music for the wedding—I have much faith that you will make a gorgeous melody for Kumiko to come out in."

Chianti touched her chest, feeling the same honor that Marsala felt—she composed a couple of small songs within concerts she played in her life but to think, she was going to be in charge of the music within the wedding.

Chianti was caught into her own thoughts when she felt someone's hand grab hers. She looked down to see Mori, smirking yet holding onto her hand dearly. He knew how much it meant to her to do such a thing.

"I would be greatly honored, father," she spoke, taking her seat.

Vincent smiled then looked over to Sherry, her hand pulling onto the napkin on the table. Such a timid yet sweet child he thought. "Sherry—if it was possible, I would like you to be in charge of designing the menu for the reception and I would be quite happy if you would make the wedding cake."

Sherry felt the blush on her cheeks rise, her lips pulling into a wide smile. This was her chance to show what she had learned from the various culinary schools she was enrolled.

"I will do my very best, father," stated Sherry.

"Don't be so bashful, Sherry-chan! You're cooking will be amazing!" She felt Hunny take her hand, making her grin widely to his affection.

"Now that we have our music, designer, and cook—Rebecca—" Just as her name was called, the American girl pulled the fork from her mouth after she dug into a piece of Italian cake—she was not expecting it at all. "Rebecca, I was wondering if you would mind being our photographer of the wedding?"

Rebecca dropped the fork onto the table, her eyes glowing with utter excitement to such a favor. "I will do it! I'll order all the film and everything quickly."

Vincent nodded his head, turning his eyes to Kyouya. "Kyouya Ootori, I know your father very well and I have heard many things about you from him."

Kyouya adjusted his glasses, wondering what exactly has his father said to him. "I see."

"It's all very good things—He told me how driven you are in your work." Vincent smiled when he saw the boy's lip curve into a smile. "I was wondering if you would do me a favor as to help be the coordinator of the event. I know paying for one would be alright to do, but I think if you help with the wedding, I would gladly offer a help to your father's company in any way in the future."

Kyouya felt himself become quite alarmed yet satisfied into what he must do. Even if it was to coordinate for a wedding, his foot was in the door to show his father how much he would do into becoming the heir to his family's business.

"I would be very honored to help you in any way."

Vincent and Kumiko looked to one another, feeling quite happy with the idea of how smoothly everything was going, but they were not finished—no, there were several jobs to be done.

"I would like to ask if Haruhi, Marsala, and Sherry would be several of my bridesmaids," spoke Kumiko. "I have another bridesmaid in mind, but she will not be coming until a week."

"With that I would be honored if Hikaru, Kyouya, Hunny, and Shizuma, if you be part of my line of groomsmen," replied Vincent. "Mori, if you could, accompany Chianti, and be an usher or bouncer, if needed.

The several people who were called nodded their heads, feeling quite the privilege to be part of this. Yet at the moment, Tamaki felt short of being part of anything—of course he was not hoping to be such a big title, but he just wanted to be part of it. He felt himself being pulled into despair, wanting to be in one of the corners.

"Tamaki Souh, I have heard many wonderful things about your liveliness with guests—we were quite hoping if you would be in charge of the reception and the per-wedding party…An M.C., if you will," declared Kumiko.

Tamaki rose from his seat, feeling quite thrilled to being part of the wedding now. He dug his fingers in his hair, smiling while winking to the woman before him.

"I will give you such a wondrous party that your guests will never forget your glorious day," he chimed.

"Thank you." Kumiko could not help but to chuckle when she watched the blonde become a giddy thing within his seat. Once she felt the laughter leave, she looked to her daughter—Nami, her only biological daughter, oh how she loved her so much. She was always supportive of Kumiko—always smiling, always cheering her on. Kumiko felt quite privilege and honored to have her daughter—no wonder she felt so much when she knew what was coming.

Kumiko smiled. "Nami—my sweet little Nami…. I would be very honored if you would be my maid of honor."

Nami touched her chest, feeling all the emotion reach her at once. "I-I would love to, Mama."

Kumiko brushed her finger under her eyes, keeping the smile on her face as Vincent calmly placed his hand on her back. It was time for him to ask the last position—his most cherished one.

"Kaoru—If you please." He motioned his hand for the younger twin to stand, which he did instantly. Kaoru had no idea what he was be doing. He expected something small, maybe being an usher. Yes, that was probably his job—something simple and unnoticeable.

"I would like you to be my best man."

Everyone glanced to the standing redhead, watching, as his amber eyes grew bigger as the seconds passed. Best man? That was too big of a job!

"Are you…. I mean—me? Why me?"

Vincent tugged on Kumiko's hand, smiling to her then to Kaoru. "I think it would be best to match the best with the maid of honor."

Kaoru looked over to Nami, gracing his amber with her emerald. If the two knew anything, it was that they were an inseparable pair. Though being given such a title as best man was still quite the shock, Kaoru knew he would only want himself to be by Nami's side in the wedding.

Kaoru turned back, smirking his lip to the older man. "Thank you, and I accept the title."

"Great!" Kumiko clapped her hands together, feeling quite happy about the acceptance of everyone's job. "Now we have that covered, we better start getting things done. We only have a limited amount of time till school starts for you all."

Nami raised herself from her chair, watching her mother walk over to the opening dining doors. "Mama, what do you mean? When exactly is the wedding?"

Kumiko turned to look at them all, smiling as if nothing would be wrong with what she would say next.

"Oh, well, I sent out invitations already—Let's see, July 24 is the day."

The group all looked at the woman, which Nami decided to be the one to voice the problem. "Mama, that's exactly one month!"

Kumiko smiled to them, placing her hand to her chest. "I know…I have faith in all of us to work together to making Vincent and my wedding day the best. Come along, Vincent."

With that the woman took her fiancé's hand, pulling as he could only give a small apologetic smile. Invitations were already given out, yet they were just informed of their role and the date of the event. The group either slumped or sighed to such a turn of event. It was the beginning of their summer vacation, but was always the beginning of their wedding workload.

"I blame this on you, Nami," spoke Kaoru, which a slap in the back of his neck was his only reply.

TBC

A/N: A wedding, oh my! This is quite exciting! I hate to say it folks, but we're actually getting to the end. I'm thinking two more chapters, and an epilogue. I wonder what's happening within the next chapter—well, it'll involve one more OC, beach fun, preparations, and maybe second thoughts from someone. Oh my!

Review please!


	25. A Union to Remember: Part Two

A/N: So sorry for the wait, you guys. I had a lot of things happening while I have been gone. I rewrote this chapter like three of four times before—hating the way each one was until I developed this one. I broke up with my high school sweetie in January, so I have been plagued with depression for a while. I even got in a collision with a dear in May, which fractured my left arm for two months. (Seriously, I had bad luck). Now, I'm back and ready to give the last couple of chapter. I hope you still want to read the fic—I promise I'll give my best!

Now, on with the fic!

The Final Chapter 25

A Union to Remember: Part Two

"What's going on?"

The message would have been heard clearly if Nami did not yawn through the majority of it. But it was not her fault—it was six in the morning and a couple of weeks into summer vacation. The group has been on their way with working on the wedding, which meant they all needed sleep to continue their full efforts. Yet somehow, Kumiko woke everyone in haste, calling everyone from his or her room to join for morning tea.

Nami sat between Haruhi and Kaoru, her legs folded within the chair as she continued to yawn to fill her content.

"Hey, Nami, do you think it is ladylike to yawn like that? Geez," muttered Kaoru, wiping at his eyes.

"I would hit you at this moment, but even my limbs are not awake yet," replied Nami placing her hands in her lap.

Haruhi released a small sigh, leaning in her chair as she felt Hikaru leaned into her with his arm around her shoulder. "You can rest on me if you get too tired."

Haruhi slipped on a smile, her cheeks slightly glowing. "I will, if necessary."

Nami watched this exchanged then glanced over to her boyfriend. "Can't you be sweet like that?"

Kaoru shrugged his arms, lifting them behind his head. "If you were ladylike I would—besides, Haruhi doesn't whine like you do. You might want to take a lesson."

Somehow Nami had retrieved the energy to let her nearest fist punch into Kaoru's side under the table. He glared at her; she turned her face away from him. Such lovely conversation within the early morning.

Soon the others began to flourish within the room—Hunny perched on Mori's back, Rebecca sleeping steadily in Tamaki's arm, Shizuma who stretched widely as his hands rummaged downward into his pants (A/N: A guy thing, I presume), the Italian sisters all three rubbing their eyes, and Kyouya who glared with enough anger to kill any noise. Everyone was there, sitting down as the servants served cup of teas and pastries.

Hunny hopped to reach for a pastry as his chocolate eyes glanced over the table. "Did anything happen?"

"I don't know, Hunny-sama," spoke Sherri, taking a hand to her tea.

Marsala followed suit, sipping onto her cup. "I have several meetings with designers today—this has better be good."

Kyouya glanced took his cup, letting his eyes close for the moment. "Whatever the case, I am not pleased with being awake—I prefer to be asleep dreaming of the things I need to do than be up. Someone will pay for this."

"Oh, no—Kyouya's blood type is making him talk nonsense," spoke Tamaki, his eyes turned from droopy to frighten. "I'm scared."

Rebecca nuzzled her head against the blonde's shoulder, grasping onto his sleeve. "No more talking, pillow."

They stared to the American photographer but had no intent to reply to her comment.

Chianti covered her hand over her mouth, a yawn escaped as Mori turned to her. "Sorry, Takashi-sama."

"…It's cute." She blushed; he smirked, leaning as she grasped onto his hand.

"Now, now! I bet they're up now."

The group looked to the door being opened. Kumiko hopped into the opening of the room, carrying the energy of a teenager. She looked onto the group drinking tea, leaning on one another, even a few went back to sleep. Maybe she should have done this several hours later than now, she thought.

"Good morning, everyone," spoke Kumiko, knowing some did not agree with her notion.

"Mama, why up so early," yawned Nami again, her hand not accompanying her mouth.

"Nami, really!" The swimmer snorted to Kaoru's comment.

"I feel quite sorry for waking you up so early." Kumiko placed a hand on her hip and placed a finger to her lips. "I just needed to inform you several things before you start your day."

The group, minus the sleeping Rebecca, glanced over to the woman, in their own way expressing interest and concern.

"I want to thank you all for doing such a good job with your tasks." Kumiko hugged her arms around her form. "I thought since everyone is doing well their tasks, today should be a free day."

"Yamazaki-senpai, I think it would be best if everyone just continued working," spoke Kyouya.

"Yeah. I guess we're all on a roll with things," commented Chianti.

"Well, that's too bad because I rented out a large villa to an Italian beach for two nights for you guys…. Within a week…." She did not know why, but when everyone looked at her the way they did, she was tickled with laughter.

"Mom, you can't do that all the time," replied Nami touching her temple. "You have to ask beforehand and tell us the whole thing before we can decide."

Kumiko pouted her lips slyly, placing her hand on her heart. "I'm so sorry—I was just so excited to reward your dedication, I wanted it to be a surprise."

Tamaki waved his hands, smiling the whole time of her explanation. "No, it's alright. We accept wholeheartedly."

"What!" The blonde president shuttered at the reaction, but smiled warmly to explain.

"It would be too rude to decline, since Yamazaki-senpai only wants us to enjoy our vacation." He ruffled his hair, his smile piercing with suave. "Besides, we can have fun and do our task as well."

Hunny piped up, raising a fist to his explanation. "That's right! It is summer, and we should have fun!"

Sherri placed a hand on his head, smiling with girlish lips. "You only say that because your job only happens when the wedding happens." She was only replied with a slight tilt of his head and an adorable smile.

"Why not." Kyouya adjusted his glasses, clearly wanting to stop any other discussion from happening. Hey, the quicker the explanations were done, the quicker he could return to bed.

"Good, good. Now that's done, I would like to introduce you to someone who just arrived to the mansion—she is the final bridesmaid and someone Little Nami hasn't seen for years." Kumiko's eyes fluttered over to the opened door, which the group followed suit with their own eyes.

The swimmer moved slightly in her chair hearing her name being called. "Uh, me?"

"Gosh—and I came all this way, and there's no life in her voice!"

The female voice—filled with loudness and spunk—was spoken right before the new person walked into the room. The group indicated a girl walking…. err, more strutting into the room with a cocky grin on her face. Her long silver hair swept up a ponytail as her shaggy bangs slowly touched the slight of her eyebrows and the side her face. Her scarlet eyes touched the group, glancing over the potential acquaintances till her eyes met onto the girl she was looking for—Nami. The newcomer placed a hand on her hip, her baggy jeans draping along her hip as she brushed her other hand on her green tank top. Of course, the girl seemed a bit out of the norm—an albino, they all thought—yet her clothes seemed to say a lot about her personality.

"Yo, Nami-kun! When are you gonna say somethin'!"

"Rei-kun?" Nami's eyes fluttered to alert, wiping her eyes to awake. " Rei Suzuki?"

"Dude, long time no see!" the new girl grinned with a toothy smile as she watched the swimmer gasp in her confirmation.

"Rei-kun!"

Nami felt a smile pull onto her face as she began to walk around the table to her friend. Walking became running, and then running became a full charge. It had been years, yet she was quite excited to see her. She was in fact so excited, Nami jumped into the air, her arms opened widely as she clashed with the newcomer. The force and hold was quite the push as both girls fell to the ground with a thud. It was an unusual sight to see Nami becoming so animated yet the concern swept over when they both crept onto the floor.

"Nami!" yelled out Haruhi as everyone moved within their seats or stood to see if the two were all right. Fortunately, within mere seconds, Nami jumped up happily as she lent a hand to helping the newcomer to her feet.

"Whoa, you almost killed me there," spoke the new girl with a sort of chuckle.

"Really? Sorry, it's just been so long." The two stood, examining one another as Rei dusted off her clothes.

"I know, like a minute or two!" Rei placed her hand in the air, awaiting familiarity in their greeting. Nami's lips pulled into a smirk as she accepted her hand with an elaborated high five.

"Hey, I saw you in the Swimmer's mag months ago. I knew you had it in you," commented the silver hair girl with a poke to Nami's side.

Nami's eyes brightened, her chest puffing up a little in pride. "Of course, if we're gonna be the 'Tomboy Twins', we gotta make it big somehow."

The group watched their exchange, collectively understanding Nami a little more. It seemed that the tomboy was not on her own with being quite masculine.

"Wow, but look at you!" Nami's eyes brightened, picking up Rei's arm. "You look fantastic! I bet all the boys go for you nowadays."

"Hahaha, right. Most of the time, I pawned them in their own games, so they get pissed," replied Rei with another toothy smile as she pat Nami on the booty. "Look at you, you seem to put on some weight—are you sure you're still swimming?"

"HEY!" Nami tackled Rei once more as the silver hair girl just laughed within her protest.

"Ladies, ladies. I'm sure not everyone wants to see this exchange," spoke Kumiko with a grin on her face. "Why don't you introduce yourself, Rei-chan?"

Rei looked over to the older woman, letting her finger deliver a peace for her answer. She looked over to the group as she placed her arm around Nami's shoulder.

"My name is Rei Suzuki, age 15. Nami and I used to be in Kumiko's dance class back in the day—to sum it up, our family's pretty close," announced Rei with good tug on Nami.

"Yeah, but somebody decided to go move to the United States to be a soccer player," spoke Nami with a punch to the girl's side.

The albino let out a yelp followed by a sharp snort. "Whatever, dude—you went to your special swim classes and boarding school, leaving me just a lowly pin pal."

The two girls began to chuckle while giving one another jerks and fake hits to body parts. Surely, all femininity Nami have created during her stay with the host club just flew out the window when Rei walked in the door. Though a curious moment, some people—like the gloomy, dark Kyouya—wanted to return to their slumber.

"Is there anything else we need to discuss, Yamazaki-sempai?"

Kumiko glanced at the table—even though they were fed and drank tea, each person carried such a haze of tiredness or longing for their bed. Kumiko smirked; nodded, and watched the youngsters rise up from the table.

One by one, they all looked onto the newcomer, acknowledging who they were and happy to meet her. Rei turned from Nami, commenting and welcoming each person. She gave a quirky grin, delivered a big piece sign, and concluded that they would all talk later. Yet one could not stop looking at her.

"Hey, Shizuma—get your butt over here and say hi to Rei-kun!"

The wild hair boy heard the tall swimmer, blinking to himself from his thoughts. He walked over, cleverly coming up with something flirty to say— he held his hand out, taking her not so delicate hand. He cracked his cocky grin, which almost mirrored her crooked natural grin. He opened his mouth slightly for the comment to come, but as he wanted to say something, Rei-chan let go of his hand, smiling with a peace sign with her right hand.

"Sorry, dude, I'm too tired to keep the conversation going." She winked her eye at him. "I'll have to make it up to ya!"

With that, the albino newcomer made her way through the door with Nami trailing along. He watched as the tall swimmer took a hold of Rei's arm, pulling her along as the chimes of the spunky soccer jock wiped her somewhat tired eyes. Was it he or did he not get to charm his way to her attention? Was it really because she was tired or maybe she was nervous? And that wink—to be honest, it was too cute, even for a jock. He pulled his arms behind his head with a slightly shrug—now he was intrigued to know her even more.

---------

Finally the week came and the vacation started. Rei sat with Nami on the beach of the villa, letting her scarlet eyes observe the scenery before them—the melted yet sultry tangerine sky mixing with the sun as it made its way to the earth, the hot, moist air drifting within the trees, the crystal blue waves of the ocean brushing and rushing against the silky, crème colored sand. A beach party/ barbecue in front of their villa was an excellent idea.

Rei stood up from the large beach blanket, dusting her hand along her deep red boy swim trunks that matched her red bikini top. She grinned down to her Nami, the swimmer adjusting her green tube top and bottoms.

"This is too cool, Nami-kun. We have to thank your mom when we get back home," spoke Rei who extended her thumb up.

Nami glared at her with a short sigh. "Yes, I'll agree to that, but sometimes she does things so spontaneous."

"What? That's the best thing about fun—it happens anytime!"

Nami snorted to her childhood friend's comment and decided to look out and see what everyone was doing. The crew seemed to be in the same area yet spread out from them, entertaining their significant others or close friends. Of course, Tamaki and Rebecca were having a photo shoot while exchanging little affections with one another; Sherri was busy cooking the barbecue with Hunny drooling at her side; Mori and Chianti seemed to be helping with placing the tables and dishes together while trying to make the other blush; Marsala and Kyouya cozy themselves under an umbrella, writing and designing preparations for the wedding, even if this was their vacation from work, and Haruhi, Kaoru, and Haruhi seemed to be playing around with the waves as they kept the beach ball going in the air. Well, maybe she truly did have to thank her mom —everything felt quite peaceful and together.

"Bonsai!"

Nami heard the call, which made her rise to stand by her friend. It sounded like Shizuma, she thought. When her emerald eyes tried to look for the wild hair boy, Rei pointed her finger to his destination. Supposedly, Shizuma thought it would be fun and best if he took a hold of Haruhi within his arms, run through the ocean, and throw her in. Nami's eyes widened in surprise, but Rei just started to laugh.

"Oh my Kami, Hikaru is going to kill him!"

"Shizuma, you jerk!" yelled Kaoru running up to help the resurfacing brunette.

"Muki, you're dead!" With that Shizuma cocked up a grin as he ran along the sand as the infuriated Hikaru followed suit.

"Oh, come on, that was funny!" spoke Rei pulling a strand of hair.

"But why Haruhi?!" asked Nami. She pressed her hand to her temple.

"Maybe because she's lighter and the only one closer to the ocean—ha!" Rei smiled widely as she watched Hikaru finally getting his hands on Shizuma. "You know, Nami-kun, you seem to have made really great friends."

Nami cocked her head slightly but nodded her head. "Yeah, they're pretty cool."

"And the boyfriend—nice catch!"

Rei raised her hand for another five, which Nami replied with her hand and a laugh.

"Yeah, Kaoru is really…something." Nami could not help it, but her fingers tingled, her heart leapt, her smile and glow grew even more.

"I might be moving back to Japan."

Nami turned—her lips slipped into her comfortable smile. "That's great! I mean, unless you don't want to."

"No, I do. I've missed it here. I love soccer, and I want to continue the sport, but I just missed a lot of things—like us, ya know."

Nami placed her hand on her heart jokingly. "Why, Rei-kun, have you missed me that much?"

"Why, Nami-kun, I have." They laughed. "But really, I'm talking to the parents, and they are pleased for me coming back. I'm probably going to go to Ouran High School, too."

Nami could not help it as her arms wrapped around her albino friend. "Rei, do you know how awesome that would be!"

"Dude, I know. You gotta help me with conforming back to a 'rich princess', okay?" laughed Rei.

Nami punched her on the arm, as the two were not alone in conversation anymore.

"You guys have been over here by yourselves for the past twenty minutes," spoke Kaoru.

Haruhi held onto Hikaru's hand as his other hand was yanking onto Shizuma's arm. The picture would have been a distressing one if not for Shizuma sheepishly chuckle to himself.

"Come on, Hikaru, I was only playing around. Haruhi, are you even mad at me?" asked Shizuma trying to take his arm from Hikaru's grasp.

"No, I'm not mad. Hikaru, you already pushed him into the sand—let him go," commented the brunette looking up to the older twin.

Hikaru rolled his eyes, but he could not deny his girlfriend's wishes. He firmly took his hand away, leaving the wild boy free but feeling the wavering pain of the missing hand.

"So, what's up, you guys? Are we just gonna stand here or are you gonna entertain the guest?" asked Rei pointing to herself.

Shizuma cocked his grin, eyeing her carefully. "Entertainment? That's almost what my surname means."

Rei looked over to him—her deep scarlet eyes gathering his cool, icy blue into her scenery. "Well, then. You good at soccer?"

"I'm capable."

The two kept their conversation going for a moment, which triggered Kaoru to join his girlfriend's side.

"Hey."

Nami looked to his auburn's eyes with a simple smile. "Yeah?"

"I'm your boyfriend, for Kami sake. Do I get any attention at all?" whispered Kaoru as he slipped a hand to her side.

She rolled her eyes as her hand swatted his shoulder. "Don't be jealous and selfish."

"What! I was only kidding, you amazon!"

Haruhi made her way to the bickering couple, her eyes not leaving Shizuma and Rei and her hand pulling Hikaru along. "Hey, you guys, is it me or do Shizuma and Rei kinda look like they could fit each other? Like maybe they could, ya know…."

Nami and Kaoru stopped bickering, cocking their head to the brunette.

"Rei-kun and Shizuma? No way!" The foursome looked at the albino juggling the soccer ball with her feet and chest as Shizuma watched, as if waiting for his turn to share the experience. Of course, there seemed to be a similar personality between the two, but attraction?

"Hey, the barbecue's ready!"

As the call was made, Rei stopped the ball in the air with her hands as she quickly smiled. "Great timing, I'm starve!"

"You said it? Want to sit by me?" asked Shizuma quickly.

In a split second, Rei felt she hesitated, but quickly shrugged it off. "Sure! I mean everyone else is already paired off!"

Shizuma felt the chance come to redeem him from his charm interruption when they met earlier. "Well, then why don't you pair with me? I would be so honored to have such a cute one by my side."

Nami watched carefully, for the moment, seeing her friend's face turn from a comfortable grin to an embarrass face. Wait—was she blushing?

--------

"Man, that shower was the best!"

Nami and Haruhi walked through the halls of the villa, touching their wet hair as they made their way to the sitting room. Everyone decided to take showers after they came back from the beach and have a friendly get-together with wine and sake. Of course they knew everyone would be on their best behaviors with the items, and the twins promised not to raise a bet to another drinking contest like last time.

"I wonder where Rei-kun is? She was the first in the shower, but I'm surprised she didn't wait for us," asked Nami running her hands through her damp shaggy curls.

"I have no clue—maybe she went with your sisters to wait in the sitting room?"

"What about us?"

As the girls made it closer to the stairs, The Florio sisters walked toward them from the other wing.

"Oh, you're not already down in the sitting quarters?" asked Haruhi.

Sherry sighed as Chianti and Marsala glared the other way from one another. Oh, another sister quarrel must have postpone their meeting to downstairs.

"Why do you ask? Is something wrong?" asked Chianti.

Haruhi looked up to the taller girl beside her who just shrugged her arms. "No, not really? We were just looking for Rei-chan."

Marsala groaned but Chianti was the one to speak. "If you want to know, follow us."

With that, the violinist turned around and walked, which made the other girls follow suit. Once they retrieved to end of the hall, Chianti pointed her finger out the window downward. Haruhi and Nami walked to the window, letting their eyes follow Chianti's hand. Yep, there she was. Yet something was quite different. Rei leaned on the railing of the outside's porch as she glanced intently at something—err, someone.

"What's she looking at?" asked Nami cursing at the darkness of the area.

"Before Marsala was being rude, Sherry looked out the window to see Rei watching Shizuma play his guitar," replied Chianti.

"Hey, I wasn't rude!"

Sherry ignored her younger sister's words as she drew her small hand to the side of her face. "I think Shizuma decided to get some air and play his instrument, and Rei wanted to sneak a peek."

Haruhi looked up to Nami with a simple message to the swimmer—I told you so.

"Well, let's just gather everyone into the sitting room, shall we?"

Nami turned from the girls, taking her feet to the stairs. Her face changed from a serene, laidback expression with the girls to a more confused one. In her years of being around the soccer jock, she never was used to seeing her face so… wanting. Sure, years change a person—hell, people change a person, but does she see it? If so, why isn't she prancing around to her childhood friend about the news or the acknowledgement of something new? Nami knew she was nosy—something she understood but did not try to cure—but this was news to hear straight from the person.

The shaggy hair girl took to the first floor, her hands touching the door to the side porch where Rei presented. She carefully opened the door, brushing her emerald eyes to her friends sitting on the ledge now. Rei's legs were thrown over the side of the railing, her eyes focusing downward to the sand where the wild hair boy played his guitar. Nami stood for a moment, wondering why neither heard her come out, but she did not want to intrude yet—the shadows would be her company for the moment.

Rei's scarlet eyes danced to the chords of Shizuma's melody. Of course, she's been to many bonfires to understand how calming a guitar playing at night could be—a group of friends surrounding one another, a combination of good food and laughter mixed into the atmosphere as the strings of a guitar filled the dark, diamond sky. Yes, it brought her memories, yet there was something different. She did not know why, but her heart was moving to his songs. And why _his_ music? Her cheeks burned—it must be the night air. Yes, yes—that must be the reason.

With the thought of the heated night air, Rei turned to leave and return into the villa until her eyes fell on Nami.

"Nami-kun?" spoke Rei a little louder than needed.

Once the first year heard voices, the music stopped and he leapt from the blanket he sat. "Hey, who's out there!" yelled Shizuma

"Crap! Gosh, we just came out for some air, r-right, Nami-kun?" asked Rei looking to her friend for help.

"Uh…."

Shizuma placed his guitar into his case, slinging the strap over his shoulder. He was quite surprised that he didn't notice either girl—he must have been spaced out from the music.

"Rei-kun?" The silver hair girl looked at her friend leaning in her sitting position—my, Nami's face looked quite serious. This made her nervous.

"Uh, W-what's up?"

"You like Shizuma, don't you?"

It was such a light question—a question needing a yes or no. It was not a difficult one at all. Seriously, it was easier than deciding what to eat for the morning. Yet, Rei's scarlet eyes—though depth with texture and known to be filled with joyous emotion—widened in disbelief, nervousness, and misunderstanding. Rei moved back along the ledge, decide to shift the tension in her body, but she pushed back too much. She felt gravity pull her, her arms reaching out. She was about to fall.

"Rei!"

"Shit!" Her voice filled the warm air with a chilly screech. Rei knew the sand would be below, her now regretting sitting on that ledge. She grinded her teeth, ready for impact, but the impact was different. It was a different touch—not the grainy, field of dirt—no, a pair of sturdy arms wrapped around her back and her legs. The person who she observed was holding her.

"Soccer jock, you okay?" She heard his concern in his voice and his eyes cooled her somewhat frightened stare.

Rei heard the pitter patter of Nami's footstep above her, but her eyes were too busy for her to look up. She was being held…. no, rescued by someone she just met—by a boy. The albino was lost of words, so she just stared.

"Hey, Rei-kun! You okay?" asked Nami.

Finally Rei looked up, glancing up at the panicky of her friend. "Yeah, I'm okay. Scared shitless for a moment, but okay."

Once Rei finally got her senses together, her cheeks burned knowing she was still in the hands of Shizuma. She looked over to him, her lips pulled to the corner of her face. Well, what the hell does she say to him?

"No need to thank me, soccer jock. Didn't want your pretty lil' face scrubbed against the ground." Shizuma smiled, but the comment was too much.

Rei slightly pulled out of his arms, her hand touching her chest. It was weird—she did not know why her heart was throbbing like that. She stood in front of him, her cheeks still burning, so she tried to look slightly downward.

"Yeah, uh, thanks, yo."

With that, the silver hair girl ran up the stair to Nami, leaving Shizuma, once again, puzzled and intrigued even more about the girl.

-------

"Dammit!"

Rei sat on the second guest bathroom upstairs, leaning back onto the cool mirror. All night her eyes were occasionally—hell, mostly—looking at the wild hair boy. This was something she was not use to doing. She thought back many times when she did look at guys a different way than just the chumming friend, but it never lasted—only for a slight moment. A "what if" kind of thought. But now, he was in her mind. She was used to being looked as one of them, but she did not mind. Hell, being a tomboy, she was not looking to date or pursue a guy. She was mostly aiming to be herself and better than the boy. But now, something was really different.

Rei touched her chest again, glancing to her right to see her reflection in the other mirror in the bathroom—she was quite different than other girls. Her long shaggy, silver hair, her dark, scarlet eyes, her toned body. She was an albino athlete, not a day dreaming, feminine girl. How could he say those things to her? She was not cute—no, never.

Her thoughts were interrupted quickly by knocking along on the wooden door. Crap, this was a guest bathroom, not her own, she thought.

"One moment!" she squeaked, jumping from the counter.

"Rei-kun, it's me."

Rei stood there in the bathroom. "Oh, you need the bathroom?"

"Not really—Came to see you."

Rei scrunched her lips to side, but her eyes glowed with such ease. She felt so bad yet so happy to know Nami has been so concerned. Maybe they were still that close of friends.

"Come in. I didn't lock the door."

Rei moved back to the counter as the door slowly opened. Nami slid into the bathroom, holding her eyes to observe her friend. Nami smiled, Rei smirked yet waited.

"How are you doing?" asked Nami.

"Haha, Never better. Though the others might be thinking I'm pooping since I've been in here so long."

Emi scrunched her nose to the crass joke, but Rei could not help but to laugh at her face.

"You never change, Rei-kun—or maybe you do."

Rei held her laughter, glancing to her friend to see the almost serious face from the swimmer. Maybe, maybe today would be their first heart-to-heart since they reunited.

Rei rammed her hand to her hair, running her finger along the long silver bangs. A yawn slipped from her mouth as she looked to see her friend leaning on the door, waiting for her to speak.

"I'm sorry, dude."

"Huh? For what?"

"I think I might like your buddy."

Nami crossed her arms, her face softening to the implication. Finally.

"It's cool, Rei-kun. I kinda figured it out. Well, with a little help from some of the others."

Rei's eyes grew as she leaned forward to her friend. "Uh, does everyone know? Does Shizuma know?"

The frantic within her voice slightly alarmed Nami. Rei usually did not dwell on other people's opinion, but she looked quite panic.

"I-I don't think everyone knows. Haruhi just kinda commented on how compatible Shizuma and you were."

She did not mean to feel so victorious or feel happy, but Rei's lips pulled into one of her crooked smiles.

"So, why now? And why Shizuma? Why not the other guys? Again, why him?"

Rei crossed her legs, pulling them to the counter instead of hanging as she began to pick her words.

"Well, first, other than Shizuma, everyone else already has a girlfriend." Point taken, thought Nami. "Plus rich, pretty boys aren't my thing. They're too up there, ya know."

"Yeah, I understand—hey, wait, I'm dating Kaoru!"

Rei laughed, waving her hand at her. "No, don't take offense, yo. I'm just sayin'—I like to get dirty, I like playing hard with soccer, and I love playing around. Not a lot of guys in our stature feel the same."

Nami could not deny it, Rei was one to be very rough in the things she did. She liked to get scrapes and have dirty clothes after playing a sport or just roughhouse. She was really like a guy in a lot of ways. People like Kyouya or Tamaki might think strange of dating a person like Rei.

"I think I was just attracted to his attitude—he seems really fun, someone who would approve me just being myself and still think I'm cool."

Rei felt her cheeks burn a little. "He also called me cute."

"Aw, Rei-kun, you are cute!"

The albino shook her head, her eyes seriously looking at her friend. "Nah—your cute card goes out the window when you play with the boys—and it really goes out the freakin' city when you are looked on as a freak."

She smiled wryly, pointing toward the implication of her 'freakish' attributes. Nami understood. In their past, incidents of nicknames, stares, rude comment were made once Rei walked into the room. Once the children knew how fun and spunky the albino was, the hurtful attitudes were dissolved. But even though they were rarely heard from their mouths, Nami could only predict that Rei still saw their eyes following her—carefully trying to understand her very nature. People were cruel, and a girl could take so much—even as a tomboy.

"Now that I think about it, I actually have some questions for you."

Nami arose from her thoughts, a little alarmed that she was needed for help. "Um, what's up?"

Rei's hand slid down into her lap, her fingers fidgeting as the seconds carried away within time. The silver hair girl looked unto her friend, laughing a bit, biting on her lip. She did not know why, but as the time progressed, her nerves were working her.

"Come on, Rei-kun. What do you need?"

She needed that push—she really did. "I think I want to wear a skirt tomorrow."

Once she made that push, Nami felt her knees give in, making gravity pull her to the ground in disbelief.

"WHAT!"

"Shut the hell up! People will get ideas about us in the bathroom."

Nami pulled herself up, her eyes popping from her head yet keeping a bewildered expression. Somehow, though Nami was a tomboy and wore dresses many times, the swimmer clearly could not comprehend her childhood friend's need for such clothing.

"Why are you surprised? I gotta wear a dress in the wedding, homie."

Nami scoffed. "Well, yeah—but that's different. You're asking me for a dress or skirt—whatever—you're wanting to be girlie?" Nami let out another scoff as her arms worked their way through the air. "Hell, when was the last time you wore one?"

"Ah--I don't even remember…but that's not important."

In all desperation to understand, Nami rubbed her hand along her temple. "Why, Rei-kun, why?"

"Maybe because I want to feel pretty."

Nami watched her friend jump off from the counter, standing with her hands to her hips. Nami's emerald eyes graced along Rei, searching for a glimpse of true humor or joke. There was none.

"I've lived most of my life as a tomboy —hell, like a guy—" She rubbed the back of her head. "I want Shizuma to see me as a cute girl, and—for once, I want to believe in myself with how I look as well."

A silence was given as both girls just brushed their eyes with one another. Rei knew a little how Nami could understand. Though, both were deemed tomboys, they had a different style. Rei was the more outspoken, but Nami was the one closer to being cute.

Nami let a sigh out, but her lips filled into a pleasant smile. "Come on, I'm sure the other girls won't mind helping."

With that, Rei moved into the gap, slightly pounding a hug onto her childhood friend. A yelp was heard, but a hug was given just as quickly.

---------

"What's taking the girls so long?"

Hikaru shrugged his shoulders to younger twin, his fingers carefully turning the next page of a magazine. The boys huddled onto the outside balcony to wait for the girls after breakfast. Certainly they could understand how woman take their time with getting ready for a new day, but time turned from ten minutes of waiting to an hour.

"Now, now, we all decided to wait. It shouldn't be too much time now," spoke Tamaki with a glowing grin on his cheek.

"You just can't wait to have a slight reunion with Rebecca-san." Commented the studious vice president.

The blonde president turned to him with such rosy cheeks as an innocent, loving smile rushed onto his face. "Oh, I do wonder how cute my Becca will be!"

"Me, too! Me, too! I bet Sherry-chan will be really cute!" Hunny's childish smile jumped onto his face as he looked up to his cousin. "I bet Chianti will be, too, huh, Takashi?"

"Hm…" Was it the group or did they all see Mori's cheeks slightly turn red?

"I bet Nami is going to look the same as always!" commented Kaoru leaning back in his seat.

"Yeah, and Haruhi will be just the same," sighed Hikaru as he closed his magazine.

"Our girlfriends are so tomboys," unison the twins.

"Nothing's wrong with that. Tomboys are cute, too," added Shizuma.

The twins looked at the boy, their auburn eyes examining and glaring at their underclassman. For some reason, the two felt a hidden message into his comment. Nevertheless, they decided to keep nagging.

"Nah, you wouldn't understand, Shizuma. I guarantee that Nami is deciding with some manly shorts or t-shirt…Man, she's such an amazon sometimes," sighed Kaoru.

"Really now!"

The boys heard a new voice enter quickly, and just as quickly it came, so did a slap to the back of Kaoru's head.

"Ow! What the he—"

Once the younger twin boy turned in his chair, his eyes brushed against the image of Nami standing in a blue, string tied halter shirt and white miniskirt. His eyes widened as he observed her shaggy hair was no more and turned into cute little angel curl bob. He was amazed, his heart fluttered; she was annoyed, she waved her fist.

"How dare you talk about me like that BEHIND MY BACK!" Nami turned away from him. "To think, I thought you would appreciate what I do for you."

"What? You just hit me in the head!" She looked back at him, which stopped him from finishing his conversation. Damn, she was cute, he thought.

"What's going on?"

One by one the girls walked through the door, reaching to see the fight or argument. Becca happily jumped to Tamaki's side wearing a cute little black/ pink sundress with a pair of her black converse. Haruhi slid to Hikaru's side as she graced her form with a cute yellow tank top and capris with makeup lightly done and hair clips in her hair. Sherry quickly grabbed onto the happy Hunny, her slim form embracing in a cute white sundress as Chianti bashfully looked away from Mori, her fingers adjusting her glasses with her form in a halter top, vintage sundress. Marsala took to Kyouya's side, her hair quite curlier than usual as she wore a gray bubble dress and light blue leggings. Needless to say, the boyfriends were pleased and speechless to see each girl turning up on the cuteness scale.

"Becca, you look so cute today!" Tamaki took the American girl into his hug as she giggled with delight.

"Oh, please…." Commented Marsala, her eyes rolling to the sight of them.

"Well, I must agree. You look quite refreshing and alluring today, Marsala," commented Kyouya.

Marsala felt her heart race silently, her cheeks reddening. "Oh, um…. It was Nami's idea."

"Me? Well—I mean, I guess," spoke the swimmer, finishing with shaking Kaoru by his collar.

"I think it was fun! I mean, it's quite nice to have a cute day," spoke Sherri as her eyes gleamed to Hunny's smile.

"Do you like it, Takashi?" spoke Chianti.

Mori's cheeks blushed, his hand quickly gripped hers. "…Yea."

Hikaru peered down to his brunette girlfriend, who looked up in a little expecting yet anticipating his words. He smirked; his lips kiss the tip of her hair.

"You look very cute, Haruhi," he whispered.

Haruhi could not help but to grin, nodding to his words as her hand slipped into his. Everyone was fluttering into their couples, lightly saying sweet words to one another, yet Shizuma stood there. He did not know why, but he could not help but to fight between the emotions of envious and separation. Of course, he would not tell his upperclassmen how he felt. Hell, he was Shizuma, the cocky, mischievous, flirty first year. There was no way he would tell them about his feelings.

"Hey, where's Rei-chan?"

Shizuma's eyes darted upward, looking within the group as he finally remembered. Yes, good ol' Rei was with him. He really was not alone. There was someone who understood him, someone who was cute to boot with her cocky attitude.

"I'm coming! Keep your pants on!"

The group turned to the door as the newcomer finally joined them outside. Rei walked out, gripping her hand behind her back to her other arm. The albino stood in their presence with such a new aura. Her long hair bounced in curls along her back as her lightly eye shadowed scarlet eyes brushed against everyone's gaze. Her fit and tight form graced into a white tank top that stopped at the tip of her navel, a black/ white argyle sweater vest rested over her tank top unbuttoned as a jean miniskirt took to her hips. Her long legs, visible in their beautiful existence, were shown delicately as her feet were paired with black sneakers. But without feeling too underdressed, a long black with white checker prints scarf was loosely wrapped around her neck. Once stood a nimble, spunky, manly tomboy, now stood such a girlish sight of woman.

"Whoa, Rei-chan, you look so pretty!" spoke Hunny.

"Yes, so cute! I must say this is quite the change," replied Tamaki with a sincere smile.

Rei felt her cheeks burn as her hand touched them quickly. "Uh, you're pulling my leg! It's no big thing."

"What do you think, Shizuma-kun? Doesn't Rei-chan look cute?" asked Rebecca as she wrapped her arm around her boyfriend's waist.

Everyone turned to see the first year's face, yet all the boy could do was stare at Rei. Of course when he first saw her, he could see such cuteness within her aura—she was cocky, funny, happy. The tomboy look just added a little more spice to her. Now, he saw her flourished with such a beauty he could not even describe. She looked like….

"An angel…." Somehow, his thoughts were turned into words, which were not really meant to be said. And though he did not completely say the whole sentence, the true words made understanding to what he meant.

Rei looked away, feeling an anxious laugh reach out as her hand suddenly struck the back of Shizuma hard. "You are such a kidder, homie!"

"Ow, Rei-san."

She looked and patted his shoulder lightly, her blushing face trying to give him a sincere apology through smile. The group looked at one another, but Nami was the one to give a thumb up to her friend.

--------

Everyone was out to get him today. Here he was, Shizuma, walking along the beautiful streets of the beachside of Italy, indulging in the rich atmosphere with the newly girly Rei. Alone. It was truly none's faults that several people within the group wanted to examine and find material for the wedding. Of course—no one's fault. But who decided that since everyone had to split up into group and he was left with just Rei. The wild hair boy ran his hand in his hair, a sigh and yawn left his mouth—it seems that this might actually be a plan of someone's.

"Yo, Shizuma, are you even listening?"

The wild hair boy turned his head to the shorter girl. Her hand was to her waist, her hip to the side, her eyes examine him with a slight arch. Crap, was she really talking to him—he must have been indulged in his own thoughts.

"Sorry, Rei, I was just thinking about something. What did you say?" asked Shizuma.

Rei's eyes kept to his face as his grin turned into an apologetic smile. She sighed. "I was saying if you didn't mind hittin' a coffee shop for a bit. I might need a jolt of something."

"Yeah, that would be good. Let me get it for you, my treat."

Rei tilted her head slightly, examining her companion a little bit. "What for?"

"What? Maybe I wanna treat a cutie like you, especially since I wasn't paying attention to you a minute ago."

Rei could not help but to turn away for a moment, her blush coming once more to her cheeks. She cursed herself for being so shy about her embarrassment—this was not like her at all. Yet…. he called her cute.

"What's wrong?" asked Shizuma, leaning his body to her to see her face.

She looked up, her hands tapping onto her skin. "N-nothing! I don't have anything to hide! Let's go look for that coffee shop!"

She raised her fist in the air and was on her way—in full speed, leaving Shizuma trailing behind. He followed her down the street until she came to a crosswalk, displaying furrowed eyebrows as she glanced both left and right. He walked up; glancing at her confused face but his eyes finally really took her in once more. Her form was snuggly grasped into the jean miniskirt and her long legs looked well bare. Maybe whoever paired them had a good idea.

"Do you see it?" asked Rei.

Her curled silver locks swayed as she looked back to him, her scarlet eyes capturing his blue ones. He did not want to say thing—her gaze was all he wanted to hold for the moment. Was it he or did he feel his own cheeks burn?

"Shizuma-kun?"

"L-let me see."

Shizuma looked through the streets until his eyes locked with a small café shop presented itself within his vision. He took to the girl, gripping his hand along hers as he directed her to the location. At first, Rei's eyes bulged out, her lips wanting to move to comment, but instead she felt her cheeks burn slightly to so many thoughts within her head—the touch of his hand was coarse yet gentle, he was not frightened of being close to her, they both were alone. Dear Kami, please be good to me, she thought.

After the two crossed the street, both glanced over the several tables outside the building; many of the customers sat under an umbrella table, enjoying their own companies or others sharing a cup of whatever drink and conversation. It was rich and very laidback they both mentally surveyed.

Shizuma took to the door, releasing her hand as he gripped onto the opening. "Here you go, my lady."

Rei's lips turned into a curved smile, as she commented, "Why thank ya, my good man."

She slipped into the opening as the wild hair boy followed. The room looked spacious, but masses of people were covering the atmosphere of the coffee shop. Groups of people retrieved, edited, and conversed with their coffee in hand. Though the room looked quite filled to be even close to being comfortable, the aroma of the fresh coffee bean took a hold of the two newcomers.

"It smells amazing in here," commented Shizuma.

"Hell, yeah. I love the smell of coffee," replied Rei, taking a whiff of the air as her cocky grin came back.

"Aren't you a little too young to be enjoying coffee so much?" teased Shizuma.

Rei scoffed at him, shaking her finger at him. "Whatever, homie, it is all the rage in America."

Shizuma shoved his hands in his pockets. "Oh, yeah, you stayed there for a while, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I wanted to play soccer professionally, so I studied over there. It's really a different kind of place."

"I heard. Rebecca's from Florida, so I've heard a lot about it."

"Yeah, I'm gonna miss that place." She sighed, but he gave her a confused face. "I'm moving back to Japan after the summer, and I'll be going to Ouran, too."

Somehow, Shizuma did not mean to react the way he did—his eyes lit up with the combination of his lip curling into a big grin and his arm around her shoulders.

"That's great! I'll show you around and stuff!" he spoke.

The albino could not help but to mirror his grin as her heart sped a bit. It was one thing to hear Nami excited about her return, but when she could feel and hear Shizuma's excitement-----Something was burning inside her now. Something so precious.

"Hey, let's get that coffee, now!" spoke Shizuma, looking around.

"Y-yeah…. first we gotta find the line…if there is one," replied Rei, helping with his look.

She could not pin point the beginning of a line—everyone was too compacted together. She cursed silently as she had two options in her head—one, they could just leave and be on their way. Two, she clearly just could ask a person where the line started. The albino girl clearly did not want to intrude into other people's day, but she was a little tired and Shizuma was paying.

"Wait here for a moment, Shizuma-kun." Rei smiled softly to Shizuma as she made her way through the crowd.

She walked, quietly trying to not bump anyone as she looked to see who had coffee and who did not. In an instant, Rei found a group of Italian old boys, talking amongst one another yet they all did not hold a single thing in their hands. Maybe she could ask them. She squeezed over, trying to make her way.

"Hey, dudes? Is this the line?" she spoke in English—she hoped they knew that language.

The boys stirred from their hearty conversation, looking over to the girl. All their eyes met the petite yet athletic girl—their eyelids widened, their eye contacts broke instantly. Rei felt a small lump in her throat as she tilted her head, but she called out to them again. This time they made no motion to her words. Maybe they did not understand English, she thought.

"Hey, assholes!"

Rei jumped a little, turning to see Shizuma right behind her. The group looked over to see the wild hair boy, his left fist hitting into his right hand.

"The lady here was trying to ask you a question," he continued in English.

One of the Italian boys stopped a small chuckle as he looked over to Rei and then back at Shizuma. Rei understood now—they perfectly well knew English.

"I don't see any lady."

Rei looked back at them, feeling the familiar sadness crawl back into her chest. She remembered the past—she looked different. She was not stupid, and still it hurt.

Shizuma felt his pulse in his body quickened as a flash of anger roamed through his body. He rushed passed Rei, tugging onto the boy's collar as he pushed him into a wall. Shizuma did not care he was outnumbered. He did not care the boy was probably five inches taller. No one would disrespect Rei like that.

"Shizuma-kun!"

"Apologize, you jerk!"

The Italian boys' eyes widened—the boy feeling the shaking of anger in Shizuma's fist; his friend standing, not knowing what to say or do.

Rei rushed to Shizuma's side, cooing him as her hand touched his arm. "Shizuma-kun, it's okay! As much as I would like to kick his ass myself, it's not worth you getting in trouble."

Shizuma looked down to Rei, seeing her eyebrows furrowed in worry. The short boy sighed, knowing that she did not need to be pulled into his unwise reaction. He slowly took his hands away from the collar yet his eyes glared on.

"You're not even worth it."

The Italian boy smirked, watching Rei pull on his sleeve.

"Monstro."

It was just that quick—The Italian said the word, Shizuma's fist clashed against his nose. Blood began to flourish out his nose, the Italian boy gripping to cover the mess. His friends gasped, moving to his side as Shizuma thought it was time to make a run for it. He took Rei's hand and pulled her out. The other customers watched with gawking eyes as the two Japanese teens ran out and hearing the Italian cuss words and whined.

"Kami, wasn't that exciting!"

For about ten minutes after the incident in the shop, the two ran. Their feet took off—Rei in front, of course—running through the busy streets of Italy. Rei could hear Shizuma slightly panting and his quick feet, so she did not stop. Both ran up into the city, not looking back for almost ten minutes until they reached a long bridge. They stopped to collect their breath as the albino girl looked out to see the beautiful, glistening water of the beach and the bluest sky she could see. In all the beauty that surrounded them, the two escaped a disastrous scene of mankind. She could not help but feel the anticipation of an effect from the incident, but she did not care. It was thrilling.

Shizuma began to collect himself, his panting softening as he looked to Rei. "I'm sorry. I know you told me to calm down, but he seriously pissed me off."

"Huh?" She was still smiling. "Oh, it's alright."

"Really?" asked Shizuma.

Rei looked to him as she leaned onto the railing of the bridge. "Uh, yeah. That asshole pretty much deserved a kick to the groin, but you beat me to the punch. Ha!"

Rei let out another laugh as Shizuma decided to jump in. The two looked at one another, laughing and feeling their breaths come back to them from the run. It was silly—if any of the others were there, the group would have been embarrassed or flabbergasted on what to do about the incident. Yet, clearly, both of them could just laugh and just shrug the incident away. Maybe being the youngest has its own good points.

"Thank you, though."

Shizuma opened his eyes to the albino girl as she looked out to the sky once more. "For what?"

"Just—being a cool guy. I rarely have people who stood up for me." She looked over her shoulder to him, letting her lip smirk to the side. "It's kind of refreshin', ya know?"

Shizuma placed his hands in his pockets, nodding his head to her. "You shouldn't have to go through that. It's disgusting."

Rei looked to him, observing his gentle yet serious face. He really meant it, and with that, it made her truly happy.

"I remember a time when I was younger, I liked this guy who always played soccer or something with me," she smiled. "Everyday at recess, we would just play around, and I thought he saw me for me. I told him how I felt, and then he made this face…."

She started to laugh as her arms began to wrap around her body. Shizuma watched her carefully, feeling at bit unease by her reaction to the story. It was one thing to make fun of the past, but something from the past could trigger something a person never realized. He wondered if this was one of those times for her.

"His eyes looked terrified, and he ran away. The next day, he ignored me and I felt like I did something wrong. I did not really realize that I was different…sure, I had different hair color, my eyes were red, and I was a little paler, but I did not want to see that something was wrong."

Rei felt tear fall from her face, her voice becoming hoarse and a little hurt. Somehow, that laughter became something deeper and emotional.

"I hid myself after a while when I met Nami. She was so calm and enjoyed to be around me, so then I came up with the tomboy duo since we both liked sports and I was used to being different." She wiped her tears while she shook her head. "I never though about it before, but I hated me, I hated feeling like I was look like some kind of experiment."

Shizuma took to her, wrapping his arms around her as Rei felt herself cry into his chest. "You don't deserve to feel like that."

"I can't help it, dammit! People look at me like I am some demon."

"I don't see you that way."

Rei wiped her face, glancing up to see his cool eyes and his half lit smile. "Why? I know you're not blind."

The wild hair boy scoffed, letting his hand rub her back. "I think you're beautiful."

At first, Rei searched within his face to see him falter or joke about his comment. Beautiful? Such a bold word for her, and something she was not use to at all.

"You have got to be shitting me, homie!" She laughed, but kept her eyes on him.

"I think you are. When I first met you, I could not stop looking at you." He began to feel something in his heart make him throb. "You're funny, energetic, spunky, and pretty. No matter how you think you look, I think you're one of the best looking girls I've met."

Rei could not help but feel her cheeks burn, as she looked downward in their embrace. She placed her arms around him, wondering if he would pull away. He did not. Maybe—just maybe—he might be telling her the truth.

"I don't beli—"

She did not expect this moment to happen. She was only pulling her head up to him to say how she felt. But once her face was focused back to him, his lips were placed onto hers. The taste of his mouth was something she never tasted from anyone. It was something so different, so lavished, so needed.

Shizuma could not understand himself. Of course, he has met girls on a single day and decided to make out with them instantly, but the albino was different. He met her only a week and half before, indulging in his interest and attraction to her, but he wanted to be cordial. He did not want her to run from him, but he wanted to be himself. He did not want to pursue her so forcefully and sudden, yet here he was, locking lips with the albino. Of course, he was not going to pull away. No, not just yet. Her lips, as he thought, tasted just too good to be true.

Within minutes, Rei pulled away, feeling lost in the ecstasy of the kiss. Her mind misplaced into what to say and how to speak. Damn, where was a translator when you needed it. She looked to him, finding his icy blues almost burning. What? He wanted more?

"W—wow." Her lips finally made words come out. That was progress.

Shizuma smirked his lips, his hands following to the sides of her hips. "I hoped to please."

"Well, I have to say, that was better than any soccer game I played." She looked up to him. "Did you mean to do that?"

"Of course…want me to do it again?"

Rei placed her finger to the side of lip, glancing up to the sky as she pretended to ponder on the idea. As Shizuma made a scoff to his mouth, the albino girl wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as she clumsily missed his lips to the side of the mouth. She laughed; she pulled him back to let her lips soar into his lips waiting. In an instance, both felt as if there was no false intentions or thoughts. Both could feel the electric attraction roar, as they pressed closer to one another. Rei touched Shizuma's ponytail, Shizuma graced his hands up to her smooth skin. It was something both wondered, but now confirmed. Nothing could interrupt this moment.

As quickly as their focus was on the kiss, Shizuma's phone was roaring in his pocket. At first they both ignored the call, but soon as the ringtone ended, it picked up once more. Clearly, Kami decided it was time both of them should come back to the planet.

"For Kami sake, when things were feeling great!" spoke Rei, releasing from his grip.

Shizuma gave a short chuckle as his hands pulled out his phone. "Don't worry, we'll just pause on it, gorgeous."

Rei could not help but to smile. If he was going call her names like that, she had to get use to her smiles and blushing.

"Hey, Hikaru, what's up?" Shizuma spoke to his phone. For a moment, he looked only to Rei, but then as he heard the message, he shifted his posture, looking to the down with a dark frown. "I see, we'll be back at the villa soon. Bye."

With that he placed his phone back into his pocked, looking over to a now concern Rei. "There's been an accident—"

"Is Nami-kun okay?" asked Rei, her husky voice slightly hurried.

"No—I'm yes, she's fine. Seems Nami's father was in an accident. His limo got hit from behind bad, so Kumiko called us to return back."

Rei felt her body shiver lightly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Let's get out of here. Nami-kun's probably trying to hold it together."

"Yeah, let's go."

-------------------------

"I can't believe this shit!"

The swimmer and crew ran through the hospital of Italy, trying to find Vincent's room. Once they made it back to the Florio's hometown, they took a full charge to finding the groom to be.

"Tamaki, which room was it?" asked Shizuma as he dodged a slow patient in his run.

"It should be 257D."

As the words were spoken, Rei took full charge. She knew, though many of them were well-developed athletes, but she trained to be a faster runner. She took off, her feet almost not hitting the floor, passing patients and nurse in her pursuit. Her scarlet eyes, looked room to room, until it fell on the large corner room ahead of her.

"Found it, guys."

The albino stopped with a turn to signal the others to her finding. Once they made it to her, they all took a point to a small breath as they all tried to pick up their wits.

"Great job, Rei-chan," spoke Hunny.

"No, sweat, man. It's what I was train to do—run like hell for a ball on the ground," commented Rei.

"Guys, before we get in here, we should remain calm through it," spoke Kaoru.

"Yes, it would quite favorable to keep both Yamazaki-senpai and Florio-senpai at ease," added Kyouya.

"I hope father is okay. I just don't know what we would do…." Spoke Sherry tugging on Hunny's hand.

"Sherry, it should be fine. Papa's a fighter," pushed Chianti as she quickly took to Mori for support.

"Quit it! Papa's fine!" yelled Marsala. She took a hand to her chest with a small breath and felt herself vanish her irritation. "I mean, Kumiko would have said something if it was too bad."

"I agree," replied Nami as she walked to the door.

Nami pushed the door open, holding her breath just in case. The room, quite vast for a hospital room, glowed with crème color walls and the peeking sunlight from the window. It held a bed, numerous, comfortable chairs, flowers and gifts, and the occasional medical equipment. In the bed laid Vincent, eyes closed as his face turned slightly away from the sun with Kumiko sitting a chair at his side, resting her upper body along the cozy bed. Her small hands grasped loosely in one of Vincent's hands, which expressed the loving relationship they both had for one another. It seemed that both, in a way, were okay.

"Mama?" whispered Nami, wondering maybe she should have let them slept.

The older Yamazaki woman slowly opened her eyes, her limbs moving in a state somewhat unaware of her environment. She took one of her hands to her eye, rubbing them awake as the group began to gradually walk into the room with less noise possible. Kumiko looked to see her daughter take a few more steps to her as her eyes looked to the bed. Yes, now she remembered.

"Oh, Nami, you're here—Wow, you all made in one day," she spoke quietly as she looked back at the sleeping Vincent.

Marsala crept to Nami's side, hurrying her voice to be heard next. "Is he okay?"

Kumiko looked to the youngest Florio, a smile slowly making its way to her face. "Yes, he'll be okay."

Everyone looked at one another, taking a sigh or expressing some sort of relief as Kumiko stood up from the chair. She made her way to Nami, touching her shaggy bob. Once the swimmer felt her touch, Nami could feel her mother's fingers shiver. Something seemed wrong.

"Mom, what's wrong?" asked Nami. She grabbed her mother's hand.

"Nothing—I just… nothing…" She touched her daughter's face, kissing her brow before she took a step past her. "I'm going to go home since you all are here. Look after your father for a bit, girls."

With that, everyone watched Kumiko take to her things from another chair beside a wheel chair in the corner. She looked to the contraption, letting out a long yet hard sigh before she finally felt herself begin to cry.

"Mama!" Before Nami could get to her side, Kumiko took off out of the room, leaving no sign that she wanted to be there or to wait.

"I have to get Mom. I'll be back, you guys," spoke Nami reaching the door.

"I'll come with you," added Kaoru right behind her.

"No. Let her be."

The swimmer stopped in her tracks as the three Florio daughters took to the person who spoke the words. Nami looked over to Vincent, sitting up in the bed as Chianti took to Kumiko's seat, Sherry to the other side of Chianti, and Marsala plowing onto the bed to her father.

"Papa, you're okay! I'm so glad," spoke Marsala, pulling her arms her father's waist.

"Oh, Marsala, stop acting as if you're ten," commented Chianti. "But I must agree, it is good to see you, father."

"Yes, we had such a scare," replied Sherry touching her chest with her hand.

Vincent looked to her Italian daughters, their faces gracing him with love and happiness to his health. His lips thinned slightly—So, Kumiko has not told them.

"Dad…what's wrong with Mom?" asked Nami.

He mentally cursed himself—he was given four beautiful girls—he looked to the swimmer, her face slightly alarmed and confused.

"Well, Kumiko, told you only half of my condition," spoke Vincent.

Marsala pulled up, standing now to Chianti's other side as the rest looked to him.

"When the accident happened, I was hit in my lower spine by the impact of two cars—I am paralyzed from the waist down," told Vincent looking them as he watched his daughter the most.

"Oh, Papa!"

Vincent placed a hand up to stop them from their comments. He needed to stop them before the tears started and there would be no way of explaining the rest. "With the medical help, they'll be sending the best care, which they assured me I should be out of the wheel chair in a year."

The girls calmly stopped their anxious feelings, delivering their father a simple smile of their relief.

"Dad, you haven't answered me." Vincent looked up to Nami—her emerald eyes blazed with determination and force. "What's wrong with Mama?"

Vincent opened his mouth, but his face fell to look out to the window. The yellow played with the orange, which was pulling the sun to the Earth. The sun—it was gorgeous. A small distraction for the moment, but he needed to say what Nami needed to know.

"I called off the wedding."

The group looked to one another but looked back to Vincent for answers. Kaoru looked to Nami, wondering what she was thinking as he could only see her face firmly in a neutral expression. He placed a hand on her back, but she softly pushed it back.

"Why?" she asked, keeping her voice soft yet firm.

"Your mother—I want to give your mother the best. She deserves it, but at this moment, for me to be at the altar like this—I don't want this for her," spoke Vincent.

"Did you tell her this?" asked Nami, taking a small step to her father.

"I—No, I didn't have the time to tell her. She fluttered about, trying to cheer me up with the wedding, and I told her I didn't want it."

Something in Nami finally called out—her eyes lit up with a glare and her lips pulled into a frown.

"You coward."

"Nami!" Chianti was the one to speak as she rose to her feet.

"Don't you talk to my father that way," replied Marsala as she placed a hand on Vincent's shoulder.

Nami looked at them, shaking her head. "What the hell—he's MY father, too! And if you didn't see, my mother just left in tears!"

Sherry looked to Vincent and Nami, the younger girl's fist shaking in the sudden argument. "Oh my!"

Tamaki pulled his way up, placing a hand on Nami. "Now, now, we should all calm down. Vincent has been threw a rough day."

Nami jerked away from him. "No! Dad—No, Vincent—you're a fuckin' coward! You should have told her how you felt! You left her once all alone, and I bet she feels the same right now."

Nami ran to the door, her body burning with heat and her face trailing with tears. She pushed aside Haruhi, roughly passing Rei and Mori with no attention of apologizing. She looked back with her face with such rage and hurt. She hoped they could see, she hoped they could feel it.

"I didn't need a father anyway!" With that, her feet took off, her cry echoing the hall.

TBC

Wow, so dramatic—It went to lovey dovey to family drama. It's been such a long time, so I wanted you all to have something to read. I hope this please many of you since I have been absent for some time. I promise—I will give you the finale and epilogue as quickly as I can.

Read and review please!


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